Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!

Caution, this story is linked to sharpening the saw more than it is about a direct leadership application.

On our annual trek to Yellowstone, the boys and I encountered adversity and tested our resilience. How bad do we want to have fun? What does it take to relax? It can’t be that hard, can it?

History: We used to own our snowmobiles and there was a time when we’d prepare them for mountain riding, haul them 850 miles and ride for a few days. Riddled with issues and the economics, we sold our sleds but love to ride so now we burn sky miles on a few flights, cash in rental car rewards, this year even used time share points for a more comfortable stay.

We’ve used a local shop to rent from for at least five years and came to enjoy the familiarity of people, predictability of the equipment and overall experience…that all changed this year. We walked in the first day and were told by the customer service rep we “weren’t expected until tomorrow”. Huh. They couldn’t accommodate our entire equipment request but made an effort. We were forced to find a third sled at a different establishment. Uncomfortable, time consuming, but at least we can ride.

New model snowmobiles are pretty equal between brands in most regards. When we owned them, I adopted the notion that nothing should remain stock. We put on high performance stuff that took time, broke the bank and stretched my smile from ear to ear.

Due to the scheduling mishap, we were introduced to a new vendor who happened to be renting an after market, turbo-charged model cranking out 200 horsepower! For those of you who don’t ride, that’s more than most compact cars produce today. It screamed like our old, not-so-stock sleds and climbed places I never dared approach before.

Pause: If I have learned anything in the last few years, it is that all social events, family trips, golf outings, huntings trips, etc. are about the experiences you have with the people you are with and the ones you share it with, not simply the joy that is derived from said event.

In this day and age, capturing those events is easier than ever. Strap on your Go-Pro or whip out your cell phone and you can relive the moments and share extensively.

Epitome: High stress requires a number of stress busting activities to keep mind, body and soul in tact. For my personality type, I work hard so I play hard. I enjoy snowmobiling because using the throttle aggressively gets you out of more trouble than it causes-usually- and in the mountains it tests your confidence in yourself, your riding abilities and the equipment you ride. Pulling this all together, my personality on a 200 HP mountain sled looks like this.

 

Unless it is perfectly sunny, contours covered in snow are hard to distinguish and “if you ain’t getting stuck, you ain’t trying hard enough”. I launched this sled to a point where it landed ok but I had to climb back on to see if I could ride it out. The snow was deep and if I couldn’t move forward, we would have to dig it out and turn it around and pull it through the small rivine I just traversed. Not fun. Instead, with a handful of confidence and a little extra wiggle, we got out with minimal back strain.
You can tell by the audio, my youngest was elated we didn’t have to pull it backwards and he probably didn’t think I’d get out on my own.

My takeaways:
I could have easily spoiled our time away together by pissing and moaning about the scheduling miscommunication with the trusted vendor. (As luck would have it, they even gave us 750 more reasons to be frustrated with their rental policies).

Instead, we talked it through, made better choices and learned of a new alternative to enjoy a not-so-stock riding experience.

We came to create and capture life experiences. To let our guard down, laugh a little and marvel at God’s handy work.

We leave satisfied.

Have a blessed weekend!

 

Good morning, Leaders! It’s Friday!

Somewhere between subtle and hyper-sensitive, lies a world within a world that I seldom pay attention to.

I’m caught up in my own…stuff. One big lump of distractions.
Not enough sleep, too much stress, something broke again at home when I was traveling, the car doesn’t sound right (but the dealer says it “A, OK!”). Clients are upset, coworkers are anxious, executives are impatient and soon I forget:
I have a roof over my head, food in my belly, money in my pocket, friends I can talk to, children I am proud of, family to lean on, a hobby or two to keep me from going insane. A God who loves me. I’ll be ok.

We focus on ourselves so much of the time. Studies say it’s over 80% of the time. (Dale Carnegie claims the number is at 95%.)

Life is funny. Ironic funny, not ha ha funny. It’s a series of loops.

•One loop that runs in your head, 80% of the internal audio soundtrack is complete by the time you’re 8 years old! Imagine how entrenched those beliefs are by the time you are considered an adult. How hard is it to record a new chapter?

•Another loop is the personal journey we are all on. Life teaches us lessons but if we don’t learn them along the way, life has a tendency to reintroduce us again and again until you get it. “Those who do not learn (from) history are doomed to repeat it.” George Santayana

•From a physical standpoint, we enter this world bare-assed naked, screaming and hungry looking for a warm, comfortable and safe place to take a long nap. When we take our last breath, we go with the same amount of fabric on our backs, the same amount of food in our belly and looking for a place to take a long nap.

I met a man this week for the first/third time. The previous introductions didn’t allow me to gather any personal details or tangible facts. This meeting was different. He explained his extensive responsibilities and quantitative industry experience. He explained how one of his significant efforts is bringing clean water to 80,000 people in West Africa. He’s cynical, jaded, and avoids the spot light. But he would classify himself as a Giver.* It’s a matter of perspective and opinion.

* I had a coworker who sold us his company a dozen years ago or so. He said, “Eric, there are two kinds of people; Givers and Takers.”

Pastor Jerry Carlson used to say at the end of each of his sermons, “As you go out into the world this week, remember that everyone is fighting a battle of some kind, so be gentle.”

Take away? Let me hit you over the head with it today.

You will be better off if you can change your internal recording by paying honest attention to others. Focus on what you can do to add value, not hoard it.

Life is short.

Despite every instinct and worldly force telling you differently, it ain’t about you.

Be a giver.

Be gentle.

Please, have a blessed weekend!

Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!

Carole and I were livestream-ing the early service from Westwood Community church last Sunday, where pastor Joel Johnson was delivering his sermon.
In the course of his message, he used the term I pay forward this week…bond of affection.
I don’t know about your capacity to process large volumes of data at one time but usually, if I hear a word, a term, something that resonates … thought provoking, it sticks in the crevasses of my brain and causes me to stop, reflect, mull over and file away.
We know there are multiple words to describe love. A couple that come to mind are:

•Agape-the highest form of love, unconditional affection
•Philia- non-sexual affection
•Eros- sexual affection

At my core, I’m a pretty simple guy who never thought much about what love is but as we investigate the different types, it’s obvious to me now that one bond of affection is widely different than another.

That could sound like, “I love you…but I’m not in love with you.” One translation might be, I appreciate who you are and you’ll always have a place in my heart but I don’t want to have babies with you. Perhaps philia?

Eros-no need (or preference) to explain for the adult audience reading this blog.

A passage that most Christians learn early is, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

That’s agape at its highest level. Unconditional love eclipsed by the ULTIMATE sacrifice. His only son. A pain(we can’t even comprehend)ful death compounded by humiliation…and of course followed by the resurrection.  God’s bond of affection for every one of us, all of his children – we are each the apple of his eye.

If this is new or simply a review of a concept you once were more aware of, what will you do with it rattling around the frontal lobe of your cerebral cortex?

Will you walk around pointing at things and say…agape, Awesome! Eros (get a room), Philia-what’s up brother? Like a kid prancing around in a circle messing each kids hair up…black duck, white duck, GRAY DUCK!

Maybe the goal here is less about defining and more about merely recognizing that so much love actually exists. If we allow ourselves to be conditioned by media of every type, we may not stay open to the many types of love.

Bond of affection describes how someone feels inside whether they have experienced touch, felt goosebumps, swelled with pride, marveled from a distance or passionately kissed their soul mate.

If you do nothing more after reading this weeks contribution to a better you than to hug the person closest to you and
reinforce a bond of affection, do it.

For extra credit, go create more.

Have a blessed weekend!

Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!

Greetings from Boston. Rain dominates the weather this week compared to the excessive snow they suffered through last year.

I’ve had to make some staff adjustments this week and out of respect for the dedicated souls impacted, I’ll spare details and just say…
Preservation or restoration of a culture that enables professionalism and productivity is some of the hardest work I’ve done in my life.

I’ve heard it said by some very smart people that it takes 3-7 years to turn around a culture. If 5 years is the average and expectations are to reduce that time frame by 75%, I can only do so much.

Changes in performance seldom come before changes in one’s personal outlook. Casting a clear vision is not simple in a diversified group with a wide variety of experience, demography and beliefs. This can be further exacerbated by disenfranchised leaders and managers who have resorted to survival techniques rather than constantly looking for ways to reinvent, adapt, adjust and thrive.

I talked to many of the talented leaders and managers and exceptional individual contributors while here who shared their confidence, concerns, commitments and questions. Their words and facial expressions, subtle innuendos, vocal tones and inflections demonstrate a mix of vulnerability and absolution. We live here, we laugh here, and we serve our clients.

I’ve come to believe culture is a nebulous vessel filled and vacated daily like a bank account where there are deposits and withdrawals. The currency are the souls that pass through the doors and halls and we as leaders must work to create a setting that allows for positive behavior and minimizes barriers to getting things done.

Leaders, pay attention to your culture. Nurture it, maintain it, communicate, set expectations and model the behavior you want exhibited. Regular checkups will prevent major surgery.

Have a blessed weekend!

Good morning, Leaders! It’s Friday!

Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve and after we reflect on what happened over the last twelve months, we watch a 1,200 pound Waterford Crystal ball in Times Square … drop…slowly…for suspense to usher in the new year. Approximately one million souls will be crowding the area to watch, among them a few I may know or even be related to.

After the clock strikes twelve and for those who stayed up might kiss someone close to them, our brains go from in the moment to what happens next; next minute, next day, next weekday.  What resolutions should I make with impossible restrictions that I will be faced with right after the ball drops?

For those writing checks still, you’ll have to remember the new year. It takes me several times before it sinks in. Some call it muscle memory, others call it laziness, still others label it as comfort.

We are talking about more than flipping a calendar here. Change in any form is difficult regardless of the amount of celebration or subtlety associated with it. Being pushed out of the old doesn’t work either. It raises concern and suspicion and triggers our defenses.

New beginnings must be embraced! We have to be pulled forward into the next…whatever. It’s uncomfortable and it’s usually rough and requires vision to shape the unknown into something significant.

In his book, Leadership on the Line, Ronald Heifetz says, “People don’t fear change; they fear loss.” If you agree with that statement than we must all better understand what we think we are losing….while we attempt to move forward.
•Is it identity?
•Is it autonomy?
•Is it our “place in line”?

New beginnings are new opportunities to add to experiences already earned. You’re not losing, you’re gaining.

Find an area of improvement or rededicate yourself to happiness and health for 2017.  Remember, embrace new beginnings.

Have a blessed weekend!

Good morning, God’s children! It’s Friday!

Peace on earth, good will toward men.

What an incredible amount of uncertainty and anxiety in the world today.
•Terrorist acts and specific calls against Christians during our ultimate annual celebration. Our cherished way of life is under attack.
•Atrocities in many countries including the highly publicized victims in Aleppo. The world seems to have its fair share of tyrants.
•New President election verified but shrouded in doubt, concern, rumor of tampering/hacking/manipulation. It feels like the entire nation has resorted to less professional behavior.

Breathe. Inhale for 3 seconds through your nose, exhale for 6 seconds through your mouth. Repeat 2 more times.

Pray. We all do this differently but ACTS (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) is a good place to start if you don’t have a routine.

Focus. What’s important? What can you do in your life; at home, at work, in your community to make a positive difference and spread the message of peace?

1 Peter 3:9-11
9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 10 For, whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. 11 They must turn from evil and do good, they must seek peace and pursue it.

1 Peter 5:7
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Romans 14:19
Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.

Philippians 4:6-7
6 Do not be anxious about anything but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Isaiah 9:6
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Have a blessed weekend and a Merry Christmas!

Good morning, Leaders! It’s Friday!

Once a month, I am blessed to get together with a group of a dozen or so leaders in my community to hash through sticky issues and learn from each other. Half the time, we have a professional speaker join us for a few hours to challenge us, stretch us and drop a few pearls of wisdom in the collection plate.

This month, we heard from the President of Chicago’s Second City, Diana Martinez. She has had a full career in show business on the production and direction side but came to speak to us about collaboration and the science behind the comedy. Look up Neva Boyd if you’re interested.

We did a few exercises to demonstrate how difficult it is to communicate effectively without increased awareness and how quick things can change with a little training and a little trust. We did silly stuff like clapping hands, squeezing hands along with more serious stuff like highlighting who you prefer to work with and what traits you appreciate about those people. We tried to tell a congruent story about certain preselected topics, one word at a time, per person, but the string broke every time it came to me. Creative juices just weren’t flowing, I guess.

Interesting topic was Yes, AND…
You may have heard this when someone says you aren’t allowed to say “but” because when you do, anything prior to that is forgotten. So if you say “you’re an awesome employee but you messed this task up” …all anyone really hears is “you messed this task up” so we did a few exercises to emphasize the point with 2 of 5 in a group positive and the other 3 acted as idea killers. Very few ideas were actually generated because the ‘we already did that’, ‘I don’t think that would work’ and ‘I don’t like that’ cropped up and sucked all the energy out of the room.

With Yes, and…even if less than stellar ideas came forward, you could agree with the poor idea but use it as a segue to a better idea, letting the poor idea fade away instead of killings it on the spot. Combined with the idea that you want to make your partner look good, ideas flowed, no one felt stupid and better choices emerged.

Think about how many times you may have killed an idea without even knowing it because you shot down something you didn’t understand or like. Instead, could you encourage someone by getting on their side of the table and moving toward consensus?

Andy Stanley said, “Leaders who refuse to listen, will eventually be surrounded by people who have nothing helpful to say.”

We finished up our meeting with a poem that we should all think about more often.

At Day’s End

Original attribution: John Hall

Is anyone happier because you passed his way?
Does anyone remember that you spoke to her today?
The day is almost over, and its toiling time is through,
Is there anyone to utter now a kindly word of you?
Can you say tonight, in parting with the day that’s slipping fast?
That you helped a single person of the many that you passed?
Is a single heart rejoicing over what you did or said?
Does the person whose hopes were fading,
Now with courage look ahead?
Did you use the day, or waste it? Or was it well or sorely spent?
Did you leave a trail of kindness, or a scar of discontent?
As you close your eyes in slumber, do you think that you will say,
You have earned one more tomorrow by the work you did today?

Have a blessed weekend!

Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!

We are smack dab in the middle of the holiday season and the weather in Minnesota just sent a quick but definitive reminder that we are warm blooded animals and have to acclimate to each season. The two busy squirrels out in the back yard have grown a thicker coat and they scurry about gathering [….] and occasionally peek in the windows with the sole purpose of taunting our dog who just about loses it every time the squirrel-friend teases her through the patio glass door.

The skies are gray most of the time, the sun rises late and disappears early. While I have a distinct appreciation for four full seasons from 100 degree sweltering Summer heat to 40 below plus Winter windchill, these aging bones and thinning tolerance for abrupt shift in weather … or plans … or frankly anything makes it increasingly difficult from going absolutely [….].

We invested in an echo earlier this year and as our firmware engineer son demonstrated last evening, there are a number of third party vendors adding programs, applications, etc. to this voice activated internet connection. We played a quick game of Jeopardy. Kind of fun. This new technology allows us to direct activities by simply annunciating “Alexa” and requesting something (as long as you frame it correctly and use Alexa as a prompt in the right amount of time). Imagine someone walking in while you are arguing with your short black tube on the counter…they’d think you were [….].

What could these seemingly random observations possibly have in common?

Take a quick look at the geopolitical and socioeconomic environment you live in. We are experiencing substantial changes on many, many fronts. We don’t like it. We prefer static but this world is dynamic. The financial markets prefer predictability but there is little of that to be found these days.

We need to be like the squirrels who adapt and adjust to their environment, simply for survival.
•Be aware of your surroundings and recognize when physical traits are changing to prepare you for the future
•Gather your [….] and squirrel them away for a time you’ll need them
•Make your own fun and taunt the animals on the other side of the glass once in a while

I am reminded regularly of the phrase “like rowing a boat in the ocean”. Have you tried this? If you try to row against the tide, you may burn up a lot of energy without getting anywhere but increasingly frustrated. You must understand your surroundings. Watch the tide. Read the waves. Whatever situation you are in, it may not be obvious, familiar or intuitive but if you don’t learn quickly (adapt and adjust), you may not survive.

As it relates to your career,
•Where are you today?
-In an environment that will help you get (or even discover) where you want to go?
•What are your plans to get there?
-Are you waiting for someone to tap you on the shoulder?
-Take interest in you?
-Encourage you to reach your potential?

Be aware
Be deliberate
Be the best version of yourself that God intended you to be
Be good at what you do but also be good to work with
Be direct, respectful but not mean

Have a blessed weekend!

Uninspired

 

Good day, All! It’s (almost) Friday!!

This time of year, I think about pilgrims and muskets and live turkeys and cornucopia. Others think about the lyrics “Over the hill and through the woods to Grandmother’s house we go”…and others think about Black Friday sales and the upcoming Christmas holiday season.

Thanksgiving may be an annual holiday but just like Veterans Day, Independence Day, and Mother’s Day – we should be thinking about a grateful mindset (as well as appreciation for freedom fighters, the liberties we enjoy and Moms) each and every day. Be thankful, show gratitude, appreciate what you have, who you are, and where you live.

So this week, we didn’t go to Grandma’s house, we didn’t eat turkey (together), and we weren’t in the same city on Thursday. Truth is, it’s downright difficult to pull together a modern day family from three different metropolitan areas for … anything.

Regardless of the setting, the temperature, the menu or the calendar…we gathered as family (Ohana) to spend time together, celebrate two birthdays around turkey day and enjoy the company of those closest to us. We laid out, we walked, we swam, we golfed, we rode ATV’s, and we hiked.

Pictured above at Smith’s Luau, we navigated the rain, took an informative trolley tour, ate the traditional pig prepared in an Imu, avoided the poi, and learned how to dance the Hukilau Hula…or watched as others tried to master it.

We are a blessed family who, like all families, have dealt with difficulties. Even on a trip to paradise,

•We took shelter when it rained.
•We argued over silly stuff, but moved on.
•We slipped and fell on muddy trails.
•We scraped knees and twisted ankles.

But we picked ourselves up, dried out, washed off, put triple antibiotic on the wounds and apologized for hurt feelings.

I am grateful for blessings and I am grateful for adversity, because it provides perspective.
I am grateful that we are all provided opportunities to strengthen our resilience.
I am grateful for new experiences in addition to traditions.
I am grateful for people who smile bigger and more often than I do.
I am grateful for the serious who barely ever smile.
I am grateful to have a family of loved ones to spend time with, in good times and bad, happy, sad, sick, or healthy.

Finally, I am grateful to God for sending his only Son to die for us that we might have eternal life.

I encourage all to reflect daily on the things in your life worthy of gratitude.

Have a blessed weekend!