Time To Live

I remember hearing that people die in 3's. Death seems to come in greater numbers in recent days. The loss of Steve Jobs, Al Davis, and Joe Frazier upset me. As people pass through this world we hear recollections of their time here: all lives well-served, legacies intact. That is the wish any of us strive to fulfill - time well served and a few people to carry on our legacy.

In reading the eulogy to Steve Jobs, I renewed my mission on earth: to never be distracted by detail, to Love and let those I Love know as much, to be loyal, to be honorable, to be accountable, to be humble...and to lift up those around me.

I appreciated hearing of the true devotion Steve Jobs had to his family despite his fierce pursuit of professional perfection. I know Al Davis helped a lot of people despite his reputation. Joe Frazier remained a loyal friend to Muhammad Ali despite the public embarrassment "the champ" caused him. All men of great achievement with the self-awareness that they were not bigger than the least of their counter-parts. A trait to be mindful of.

In 1998, Mark Oliver Everett wrote an album in tribute to his father, sister and mother...all of whom had departed the world. The album concluded, with the phrase:
"I was thinking about how everyone is dying, and maybe it's time to live"

In my moments of most profound reflection, tears come to me without being released. I think of my sweetie and how every day I work to earn her love...I will never be worthy. I think of my son and how profoundly proud I am to have him carry my name long after I am gone. I think of my daughter sitting in the tree house of my heart. I conclude to live every day as if it were my last.

Precious moments with the ones we love never pan out as we might propose in our time of profound reflection. We hurt the people we love. We neglect our energy to do the extra things, say things we do not mean, and make selfish choices. But, when the final curtain comes down I doubt we will remember our selfish moments. I would like to think that we will ascend into light surrounded by those we love. And proclaim our amazement with it all, as Steve Jobs did. Until then, it's a good idea to maximize every second for everything that it is worth. Better to realize that now than to wait for the final curtain.

Celebrate your imperfection. Be good to one another. Treasure Everything!

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

YOUR Mission

It's the 6th Installment of the Employee Purpose Perspective (EPP). Thus far, we have introduced the following principles:
Collaboration
Purposeful Intent
Personal Relevance
Unique Value Proposition
Embrace Impossible

Today we ask the question: Is it possible to lead a group of individuals within a common system?

Answer: No!

70% of first time Managers fail. The number one reason Managers fall short is because they fail to engage their workforce. This is because Managers are told to throw a blanket over 10 completely different people and expect consistent results.

Work becomes synonymous with boredom because it is not given applicable relevance. You have team meetings twice a week...why? That's what your employees are asking....why are we here, again..? What's the Purpose?

The answer from the Manager's corner is usually....because....(that's it). It is what it is (the worst phrase ever and an insulting misinterpretation of a Buddhist philosophy). Manager's have their marching orders, they are instructed to bestow them upon their teams, and all march together to increase stock points. Rats in a maze without purpose.

We Can Do Better Than That!

The real question is: What separates Leaders from Managers?

Answer: the ability to give every one of their team members a personal mission.

Jason will have different motivations than Jennifer. We need to invest in understanding individual motivations and help the individuals find purpose. You cannot do that by setting group goals. You have to make THEIR goals ~ YOURS.

Relationships matter most. Relationships take personal investment. Work is seldom personal. Therefore, our investment is not in the PEOPLE that make up the system but the SYSTEM itself. Discard the people and plug into the spreadsheet - Cowardly!

Here's how to get to know your people:
Engage
Differentiate
Quantify

Paul Westerberg, where have you been?
We each have our artist of choice. Let's say you are a die hard Mats fan, if your boss sighted a lyric from Paul Westerberg in a sit down meeting - how much would that mean to you?

I get it, you can't pretend to love something you don't, and pretend it's personal. But the effort to genuinely understand means more than you know.

Togetherness
Boss #1 + Employee A = Two people with common frustrations and a need to make better. Why not talk about it?

I once had a boss who taught me how to be a man. He had been through the ringer, his life was difficult, and he spent countless hours listening to me complain. When he left our company, he told me in honest terms that he thought his advice was lost on me....that hurt.

What does it all mean...
Money isn't everything. You get to a point in your career when you come to understand that. Then what...?

What would you be willing to accept more than dollar bills? To some it means freedom to create their own schedule, for others the opportunity for advancement.

Your challenge is to determine what really matters to your employees, to help them make it part of their life, and to incent their courage accordingly.

Our core values speak to:
Integrity
Innovation
Accountability
...these ideals are something different to everyone.

We spend far too much time convincing others of what WE believe in. Why not invest in THEM and fashion your advising from there?

Micro-Management is dead, the rules are changing, and everyone has options.

Everyone is willing to put money aside to be part of something that they believe in.

All you have to do is understand what makes me, me...and incent accordingly.

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

Keep Fighting

So you lost your job, your husband left you, that big promotion didn't come through, your team lost, your child disappointed you, you didn't get the job you desired.

It's Not Your Fault!

In these times a toil you will go through a 3 step process:
1. Anger
2. Self Pity
3. Action

We are going to skip steps one and two and get to the part in the movie when our hero bucks up and gets back to what he/she is good at.

Nothing disappoints me more than seeing someone act out of character: Those who have lost their hope, question themselves and pass blame. That time is not now! No Brothers and Sisters when you are done reading this blog you will get out of bed, put down the remote, stop searching job sites and go for a walk. It's time to search yourself for what is important, develop a plan to live it and to go after it.

That dream job you want is yours and the promotion you seek is eminent if you understand the following:
Stop Feeling Sorry for Yourself!
Beggars Cant be Choosers!
If It ain't Meant to be Don't Force It!

How I Stopped Crying!
I once loved a girl who didn't love me. I spent countless hours worrying about her and around her I consistently acted out of character. She didn't dislike me but she was overwhelmed by my bravado...I showed off when I should have been calmly present...I was annoying to be around. I complained to my friends about the misery of the situation and they rolled their eyes. They knew I could have controlled the situation but I chose not to. They too were annoyed by my bravado. They were right.

So when my friend cried over a boy, I too rolled my eyes. I saw in her the ass I was in said situation and I bucked up. I vowed to put my emotions in check and to develop better communication skills. Sitting in my apartment listening to The Cure did nothing for me. When I got out with my pals and breathed a little fresh air: I was reminded of my incomparable awesomeness...and I never looked back.

Ask (and accept) and You Shall Receive
This may be the toughest job market in my life time and yet I have managed to find jobs for people. Many of them have addressed my offer with "I don't want to do that". Do that 10 times, stay unemployed for a year and then come ask me if that position is still open. I am sorry to phrase it this way but "Beggars Can't Be Choosers". Wake up, get back in the game and upgrade when you can. If someone offers you something and you have nothing else on the table - accept it!

The Colts Have a QB
We would all love to Quarterback an NFL team, play drums for Rush or host a game show. Those jobs are taken by people who dedicated their lives to earning them. I have said many times in this blog that you can be anything...apply reason.

If you want to switch careers, give yourself a 5 year plan. If you want a promotion dedicate yourself to a well planned career track. Blind ambition and misguided action will not pay the rent. Be real with yourself, get in where you fit in and find a way to put what you love into what you do.

Trust me...you can be anyone you want to...you just need to understand how that fits into YOUR plan.

So I can tell you this. The sun will shine tomorrow. You will find someone to love (who deserves you). You will get the job you want. You will ultimately get a promotion.

CALM DOWN! Accept things for what they are, don't force the issue, use your time wisely and always have a plan.

That light at the end of the tunnel is closer than you think. Don't ignore it.

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave