Simplify
The more complex a struct ure or process is the higher liability there is for problems.
We tend to gravitate towards building complex processes because these stroke our egos.
The consultant who implements a complex employee review process for a business feels important and validates his or her value to the organization because if it was easy to do this why would they have needed to hire a consultant?
Don’t chastise easy. Don’t criticize simple.
Build, celebrate, and reinforce systems that work.
Posted on May 22nd, 2016
Learning vs. Image
Our choices are the outcomes of the questions we ask ourselves.
Most people walk through life asking “How does this make me look?"
The counter to this question is “How does this help me learn what I am trying to learn?"
To ask this question you first need to have an idea of where you want to go, (aka a vision).
These questions arise from the deepest levels of self (goals, hopes, insecurities).
Our focus is a finite resource. Choose your focus/question based on your end goal.
How can this help propel my vision forward?
Focus: Your learning. (It’s not about other people).
Do other people like me do things like this?
Focus: Your image and managing others perception.
[Thank you Muhammad.]
Posted on May 21st, 2016
What’s Holding You Back?
When thinking about why we are not where we want to be we tend to over focus on the external factors (our boss, our colleagues, policies or structures) and under focus on the internal factors (our mindsets, skills, capacity).
But which of these factors do we actually have control over?
Put your attention and time into improving the areas you can control.
Thank you George Mumford.
Posted on May 20th, 2016
Empathy vs. Sympathy
Sympathy is when you feel pity for someone else.
Empathy is what you feel the emotions someone else is feeling.
Ex: Mary’s husband died in a car crash.
Sympathy: That’s hard. I feel bad for her. Well, I’m going to watch my TV show now.
Empathy: Wow, that’s hard. I feel bad for her. Well, I’m going to go over there now and cook dinner for her / do the dishes. She shouldn’t be alone at a time like this.
For some, feeling sympathy might be the first step to building empathy. For others sympathy might be a wall that blocks you from walking over the bridge to the other side to feel what someone else feels, to stand on the same side, together.
Notice it’s not about feeling the right or wrong thing. It’s about building the habit of responding to your feeling with action that can potentially alleviate someone else’s suffering.
It doesn’t matter where you start. But it does matter where you end up.
Cross the bridge.
Get to empathy.
Posted on May 19th, 2016