Many teams wisely end the many downsides of email as they seek a culture of greater collaboration and transparency. They now use apps like Slack and Trello and get as many notifications a day as they used to get emails. The difference in functionality is profound. Now people can see what others are up to and this opens the door for more collaboration, alignment and being in sync together that email effectively prevents. At the end of the day, more value is delivered and people feel more connected.
The magic of momentum
Action creates the energy of momentum. That's the power of small actions taken sooner than larger actions later.
It's logical when we have a ToDo that we estimate for more than 15 minutes to suffer the fate of death by list. Instead of creating momentum with a small start of any kind, we postpone action for the whole effort. It's also logical to value a bias for getting something bigger done all at once, thinking that breaking it up into smaller chunks will make our efforts as fragmented as tasks suffering from multitasking. Trying to motivate ourselves isn't realistic because energy comes from action.
Small steps creates momentum. Keeping good notes sustains continuity between small steps. The time between steps enriches the reflective learning that supports the quality of the effort.
For the whole article: https://medium.com/@jackricchiuto_42649/the-magic-of-momentum-472a7e4fb14e
3 ways to optimize engagement in meetings
Get everything on shared note cards
People do their best expressive and reflective thinking when they incorporate writing their own ideas into the process
Form topics as questions
Questions focus people much more quickly than topics because questions are more specific in what they ask people to dialogue on
Work in small groups
If only two or a few people need to work on something, instead of turning the group into observers, have them work on it during or after the meeting
The best way for teams to begin each day
In thriving cultures, teams begin each day with everyone sharing their key intentions for the day. These express the kinds of things people will start, continue and complete. It opens space for exchange of resources, ideas, help and questions.
The hero myth
We still hyperbolize and mythologize about top leaders in corporations and government. It's an old narrative that denies the countless acts that makes good things happen these leaders neither do nor know about. We would move further distribute power if we distributed credit.
What is meaningful work?
Three things can make work meaningful: the pleasure in the process, the value of the outcomes and the way our compensation from it supports the rest of our life. Increasing any and all of these expands the meaning of work.
Can we grow wisdom?
There is wisdom in heuristics and principles to live by. Wisdom separates noise from signal. It brings about the right consequence by the right effort at the right time. We become wiser with exposure to wise people and wit deeper reflection on life lessons from our experiences. There is wisdom in our passions and dreams.
Life hacks
Life hacks are ways to simplify the routines and exigencies of life. They are the domain of simple cooking and beverage recipes, simple ways to get things done, simple ways to communicate anything and have connecting conversations. There is beauty and wisdom in simplicity, getting optimal value from the fewest steps,
Making the most of commutes
Variety is the spice of commuting life. It's healthy to keep a cue of new music, podcasts, books and questions we want to ponder. It's ideal time to mentally rehearse new skills, strategies and habits we want to experiment with and grow.
Is there a secret to being personally organized?
One of the best insights I've come across over the years is that the secret to personal organization is to keep experimenting and improvising. Try different ways to track, time and tackle todo's. It's possible that different task genres need different approaches, and we only discover this with enough creative agility.
The art of grieving
Grief is a thief. It can take time and energy from us if we don't create space for it. It can temporarily dim what have been our brightest wishes and dreams. In non-thriving work team cultures, we don't create space for personal or shared grief, when in fact doing so would enrich the culture and bring unique healing people would not otherwise have.
Should you write a book?
I regularly talk to people who say they want to write a book. Each is in a different place relative to beginning, fro vague idea to outline. It's intimidating even to those who had write "long papers" in school. Writing a unique book in any genre has little in common with structured academic assignments. I remind them that writing a page a day for a year, generously edited down, can yield a decent book. The trick is to structure the book well, which can be learned from an experienced published author. If you're thinking about writing a book, if nothing more than the process, do it.
Do entrepreneurs (really) take risks?
How many personal assets do entrepreneurs place in danger as they pursue their entrepreneurial dreams? Many would say they keep their actions mainly realistic and wise. The take measured steps in developing and determining viable products and markets. They have more bias for reality than ego-inflated fantasies.
Teacher apprenticing
Teachers at all levels should work as apprentices for as long as it makes sense. It depends on the complexity and levels of the students and programs. They would progress through portfolios of experience and wisdom, and compensation would progress accordingly. Master teachers would be guides and mentors in the process. This would begin at university graduation.
From differences, new ideas
We come to the new idea table from our generational, gender, training and experience differences. These differences can be the basis of tensions, conflicts and being out of sync with each other. And they can be resources for aligning and being smarter together.
It comes down to how we respond to each other's ideas. Some ways of responding grow ideas. These are the five idea nutrients I'd like, so, and, when and else. Like is acknowledging the upsides to an idea. So are our questions for further clarification. And is an additive feature that can make an idea more workable or valuable. When is defining the best timing for an idea, Else is how else we can optimize an idea's upsides and minimize its downsides. Together these empower differences in the collaborative evolution of ideas.
We can give all kinds of lip service to creativity and innovation. What matters is how we think together.
Team culture, simplified
I would argue that the best leaders respect the power of culture. They do their work understanding that culture is the invisible force influencing motivation, performance and metrics impacts. When the culture is right, so is strategy and growth of the organization, teams and individuals.
In the simplest terms, culture is how people feel. How people feel at work determines their levels of engagement, learning, resilience, creativity and loyalty. Culture exerts more intrinsic, meaningful and sustainable influence than extrinsic motivators like bonuses, compensation, benefits and contests.
Specifically, culture is how free, connected and valued people feel. Unless teams have structures that support these feelings, they don't automatically happen. Feelings of freedom, connection and value need to be designed into how work happens and how people interact everyday. Everything leaders do influences these feelings in one direction or another. Peers have even more influence over the quality of culture.
The myth of time
In physical work, effort counts. Working longer produces more. Brain work differs. How much time we put into any task doesn't necessarily equal high value outcomes. The quality of outcomes is shaped by the intelligence applied. One person can produce more value in an hour than someone else can in four. Knowing this profoundly reshapes how we think of the value of time at work.
Why people stay in jobs they hate
Whatever their narrative, people who stay in jobs they hate are stuck primarily by two things. They are not dreaming the future they want to create and see. They are not taking small actions to learn or connect their way into new work possibilities. Both of these are possible and learnable. Everyone benefits when people move to jobs better aligned with their strengths and passions. And no work is too humble for heart fulfillment if our intentions are noble.
Strategies for anxious living
In many psychological models, anxious living is considered a function of an over indulgent focus on oneself. Being self-centered and anxious go hand in hand as symbiotic experiences. Any redirection of attention to our world creates relief. This can be through service to others, curiosity and awe, engaging in any craft or art and having passions that have to do with making the world a better place for all. It's not a complex program. And it works.
What motivates us
Motivation often holds two connotations. We are motivated by what we consider the cause of action. We can work from the narrative that we work from the need for money, status or both. We are also motivated by what we consider the impact we want our actions to have. We can work to change the world, our industry or at least our markets. Both are motivational narratives that matter to how we do contribute our value in our work.