Power Up Burn Out

Did you walk with a friend this month to relish the change of seasons?

When was the last time you called a friend without making an appointment first?

Have you dined out for a meal—without your phone on the table?

Has technology taken over your work life and your private life?

We are living through something I like to call “the conversion of the evolution of the human being.” Technology is very quickly turning us into a burned out, self-absorbed, anxiety-ridden population.

We must consciously turn it off and hit refresh. Often.

“Without personal meaning, you’ll start to wear down from relentlessly throwing yourself into the churn and pulse of things. You can’t sustain this kind of disconnected, meaningless work for very long.  – Steve Errey, “How to Tell Your Boss Your Completely Overwhelmed,” Fast Company

The more we focus on what makes us human, the more apt we are to create and innovate rather than follow; the better our relationships will be at home and in the workplace.

Better interactions with our colleagues allows for all of us to be human again.

Allow yourself to be you. Be joyful.  Have open dialogue with others. Volunteer, go to a museum, or simply say hello.

What makes us human?

Emotion, empathy, compassion memories, 

human relationships, human connection, kindness and love.

Leadership at a Crossroads

Twelve years. Four re-organizations. Does this sound like your company?

In today’s global environment we see many companies struggling with growth. Company leadership is tasked with looking for ways to be on the cutting-edge and competitive, not only in one country, but in many throughout the world.

Leaders are continually challenged to grow their companies through developing new innovations, products, efficiencies and cost-cutting processes to generate revenue streams.   Companies will invite experts in to help them evaluate ways to improve their business model. I see many companies re-organizing their internal structure, which can be beneficial in improving efficiencies and processes; however, I am often surprised to see how fast these companies are to embrace a new organizational structure as “the fix” to challenges that are often recurring and perpetual.

Implementing the latest and greatest new business tool or academic philosophy to improve a current business model is secondary to truly understanding the foundational root cause of why the old model was not working.  

I have read about new algorithms to better understand the workings of an employee. Surveys, case studies, speakers, team-building sessions can all be used to implement the new organizational model. None of these will withstand the test of time unless the leadership is willing to guide the company and its human capital base in a new direction—starting with the core values all the way through to the day-to-day operations.

In order to define the mission of the re-organization, a company leader must first define the company. The leader must be willing to engage with all levels of its operations to learn about the impact of the re-organization, and be willing to listen to other solutions.

If the leadership is only looking at the bottom line, how can a long-standing legacy be in its the future? If a company is only looking at today’s revenue stream, it will not withstand the headwinds of the next economic business cycle.  

Remember the dot-com bubble when seasoned investors, accountants and attorneys threw everything they knew about running a business out the door to chase after the next great idea? Hundreds of millions of dollars danced off into nothingness—precisely because of a lack of seasoned knowledge merging with new ideas.

A re-organization often overlooks the company’s changing culture to support the new model and, as a result, the new direction is only temporary “window-dressing” for change. Chasing after business, rather than developing new products is history. Services or goods built with integrity and strong core values are your best market asset and the key to your company’s longevity.

Respect is So Much More than a Song

Respect is a basic principle of human interaction; it’s also part of our ethical code as human beings. “I want respect.” Do I hear that a lot! But, do you know how to give respect?

Most people today are too self involved to care, sadly.  Why is this happening? Is it because of technology? Perhaps. We have forgotten about respect as it links to trust and empathy.  Respect is not about “celebritism.” It does not go hand-in-hand with fame. It’s not about the number of followers you have on social media nor does financial wealth equal the authority necessary to gain it.

Respect has a few definitions:

1) Respect for someone who is a recognized leader or a person of authority. 

2) Respect as a form of politeness (at the dinner table), for example.

I’m most concerned about this one:

3) Respect as a form of self-respect which must then be reflected on to those who are familiar to you and on to those you encounter in your everyday life.

We all come from different walks of life. We’ve all got shoes to fill, we’ve all got to find out what shoe fits. We’ve also got to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes.

From the first interaction of your day, to the last, carry these words you:

Listen. By listening, you are not only respecting another’s insight, you are building a mutual trust. That trust builds opportunities and business. Practice saying, “I’m here for you.”

Treat others as you want to be treated.  Nothing replaces the human factor. Caring, take action and recognize your employees is

Engage with empathy. Put yourself in someone else’s shoes before responding.

Slow down and be kind.

Why is RESPECT so important?

Creating a more united friendship with someone doesn’t cost anything.

People from different sides can come together; they must come together.

You cannot earn it unless you have it for yourself.
You cannot ask for it. You can only give it.

Don't Get Stuck in Someone Else's Mud

Years ago, I dashed in to see my mentor, flustered by the challenges I was facing with a coworker. In great detail, I described the situation, sharing some of the ugly things that had been said to me. When I was finished, I waited. I was awaiting what amounted to her consolation and maybe even her sympathy. Yet to my surprise, my mentor’s response was the exact opposite.  She said in her quiet, yet direct voice, “Why did you get stuck in someone else’s mud?”

I looked at her, speechless, digesting her response and pondering her question – both were so far from what I wanted to hear.  I took a deep breath to give over my disappointment to her response and slowly answered, “I don’t know what you mean. This person said these things to me… how dare they…why would they?”

Then, somewhere, in my defensive banter, my mentor waved her hands and interjected, “Why did you get stuck in their mud?” 

“We are all humans,” she said. “We all have different emotions, feelings, experiences, uncertainties and purposes.  So the question becomes, why did you respond the way you did? Why are you getting stuck in the mud, when you can be doing what you were called to do? Why are you allowing someone else’s negative comments to influence you? Have you lost your way?”

The message was loud and clear. It was so obvious. In life, we will have many ups and downs. We will face many challenges, yet if we remain true to what we believe in and find joy in all things, we can avoid “getting stuck in someone else’s mud.”  

The more we choose to trust in our heartfelt dreams, the easier it is to jump clear over the mud and spend more time on the beautiful grassy knolls of our life’s journey.

Striving for Excellence

Striving for excellence gives us pride in what we do.  Challenging yourself and others to go beyond is contagious!

So, how do we improve? Encouragement helps. Ideas that lead to solutions also help.  

But it’s really about a willingness to come back with ideas again and again despite hearing ‘no.‘ Hearing ‘no’ builds our dignity and builds who we are. If you really believe in growing you must be willing to hear the no’s and still move forward. When you hear no, do not give up. Listen to the comments and then see if there is a need to negotiate—with yourself and with others, in every situation.  Keep coming back to the table with more solutions and ideas to help move the concept forward.

‘No’ lives inside of us all. My friend C., is recently divorced. She knew she would have to step into a different role with her sons – one of strength. She would have to mute the no voice inside of her by giving herself a challenge. She knew her boys loved to hike and so, earlier in the year, she planned a challenging summer in Yosemite hiking one of those trails that reach some 8,000 feet above sea level.  For C., this was daunting yet at the same time, exhilarating. She always preferred to stay home while her family hiked. She knew this was going to be very different for her. She was asking herself to think differently because her circumstances had changed.

Every day, she went to the gym after she dropped her boys at school.  She planned some day and weekend hikes on her own to keep growing. Little did they know that she was making such physical preparations. Even with a full time job, C. creatively plotted new ways to negotiate her schedule in order to accommodate this new commitment.

When it came time for the trek, C. hiked right along with her boys. There was no stopping her! She strived for and achieved excellence – and best of all, she felt such strong self-pride and delivered not only the gift of her presence, but also gave her boys a strong message about reaching goals despite obstacles.  You can change who you are. You can always do more. You can change how you think. You can think harder.  Always remember to believe in your dreams and keep thinking big, strive for excellence and pursue those dreams.

Striving for excellence means hearing ‘no’ and negotiating around it every single time.  It is neither self-rewarding nor self-fulfilling. It always benefits others.

How To Grow Your Paycheck

What keeps me in my job? Why am I doing what I do? Am I only working for a paycheck? When will I get a raise?

There is so much more to your career than growing your paycheck.

Being “appreciated” is not synonymous with being paid more.  

Satisfaction is internal.  Grow yourself so you are of greater value.

How do I know this? If the work you do defines who you are, then I say, "You are not a good leader."  You are not a good leader because you are not a whole person.

Every day you should be shaping your destiny by growing your skill set.  

Sure, there are “fun” workplaces. The aesthetics might make employees feel happy to be there -- but do these aesthetics provide an environment for employees to grow? No.

Working should be about much more than the size of your paycheck.

Maintaining yourself and taking ownership of YOU, makes you of greater value to an organization and…YOU are the greatest beneficiary because you are growing.

What are you doing to grow your whole person?