I am still pondering death (because of Mark). Don't worry - I will move on. Just not quite yet. I was at a community memorial service for Mark in North Carolina on the 28th. It was well attended. Many kind words about what a great, funny, kind and generous person Mark was.
There is another Celebration of Mark's Life in Guelph at 11 AM at the Arboretum at the University on January 17th.
A friend reminded me of Randy Pausch's last lecture which is both a book and a video. Pausch was a young professor dying of pancreatic cancer. His last lecture were his final words of wisdom.
Pausch's message is simple and obvious. The clarity of knowing his time was more limited than most is what made it insightful. We listen to those who are dying. His message: Live for the moment; have goals; work hard; there is nothing wrong with work; think; leave a legacy in the hearts of others.
It is our duty to use the time we have well. I am pondering how best to do this.
Quote of the day (which as an avid bridge player Mark would appreciate):
"We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand."
-Randy Pausch (Oct 23/1960 - July 28/2008)
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Friday, December 26, 2008
10 Mile Hamilton Harrier Boxing Day Run
Christmas is done. Friends and family have left. And I still desperately miss Mark.
Today I ran the 10 mile Boxing Day race in Hamilton today. The temperature was perfect at about the freezing mark. Zero is a good temperature except at the start. Waiting to run is cold.
The course was just a bit slippery in places but overall, it was an excellent course.
The race started at 11 which is a bit awkward. To eat a full breakfast or not.
My calves were still sore from a workout I had done with my personal trainer, Taylor Beech. . But within half a mile, they were all stretched and not a problem.
The race was crowded to start like most races. My first mile took almost 9 minutes. I could not get past people (but I do like to start slow). At about the 3 mile mark, the crowd was thinning out so I could run the pace I chose. I was feeling good.
At 5 miles, we were next to the lake. Beautiful but a bit cold when the wind blew. And a bit icy in spots. I was feeling fine but thought perhaps 10 miles was a bit long. I was also thinking "this is Canada - what are we doing runing in miles?" (10K is shorter)
But mile 6, 7 and 8 clicked by. I sped up to try to get a better time. I continually passed people. One at a time. With just 2 miles to go, I repeated "I can do anything for 15 or 16 minutes". So I pushed.
In the end, I finished in 1:21:50 or about 8:11 per mile. I use the Power of 3 goals when I run. One of my goals was to beat 1:20 but one was to beat 1:25 so I accomplished that. One was just to finish.
I use this Power of 3 goals in business as well. In many things I do I set 3 goals. One that I know I can do and a couple that are more of a stretch. Achieving one goal helps prompt more success in other goals.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
More beautiful snow here.
Thanks for the outpouring of support over my brother Mark's passing. 156 emails, 26 blog comments and 17 cards. I know, I kept them all.
I continue to be driven by "what would Mark want for me". He would want me to pause and reflect and remember. He would not want me to go into a depression or lose productivity. He would want me to continue to be a business builder. He always wanted what was best for me.
And when I start to think I have it rough, I know that Lyle has it rougher. He has to split his own wood now.
I won the Canadian Blog Award for best professional blog. Thanks to all who voted for me.
Quote for the day:
"When you are going through hell, keep going" Winston Churchill
I wish for everyone a healthy and happy holiday.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
What I learned from Mark
The snow is beautiful today.
One of my blog rules is to blog only when I am optimistic and upbeat. I thought I would not blog until I got over Mark. But I also know I need to live.
One thing that will make me a better person and what keeps me going right now is to think "what would Mark what for me" (not what would Mark do).
My nephew Arlo put it well on Marks' blog. When we are born, we are 100% alive but when we die, we live on through the impact we have had on others - through the momories.
Things I learned from Mark - partly by the things I will miss about him:
1 - How to listen. He really knew how to listen. It was not about him. he showed a genuine interest in what I had on.
2 - Humility. Mark was very humble. Always willing to be in the background.
3 - How to just want the best for others without expectation of return. Perhaps this was just for brothers but it is a good feeling to have someone who is just out for you.
4 - How to play. Mark was much more balanced than I am on playing, relaxing and not always achieving.
5 - How to spend. Mark lived a frugal life in some senses (small house, modest car etc) but still was not afraid to spend money.
6 - Generousity. Mark was incredibly generous. He donated to any good cause. He spent money lberally on those he loved.
7 - Family is important. He made a huge effort to keep connected with family.
The best way for me to honour Mark's memory is to learn from him and to be a better person.
Glen and I drove back from North Carolina together. My flight was cancelled. I enjoyed the drive. At one point we stopped at a gas station:
Everything reminds me of Mark and the hole that is left in my life.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Eulogy to Mark Estill
August 6/1954 to December 16/2008. Today at shortly before 3 o'clock, my dear brother Mark died.
What can I say about losing my dear friend, confidant and protector?
I have memories.
As a child, I remember the games - hockey on the neighbourhood rink, baseball in the school yard, football, snowball fights, tobogganing etc.
Mark was especially close to my youngest brother Lyle. He was old enough to "take care" of Lyle and that lasted right to the end. Glen and I are only a year apart so we hung out together more.
Mark worked with me from the time we were young. Shoveling snow, painting houses then selling computers for many years.
After Mark moved to North Carolina about 15 years ago (he went there to help Lyle with the EMJ America branch), Mark set up a weekly call every Friday with me. He knew me well enough that it needed to be scheduled. We talked for 5 or 15 or 25 minutes about whatever was on our minds. We shared dreams, we confided. Mark was my sounding board and advisor.
He was the glue that held the brothers together. He was always there for family. Fully supportive of all our projects. He invented the "Brothers' Weekend" when Glen, Mark, Lyle and I would go somewhere to spend the weekend together hiking, playing bridge, laughing (Mark had a killer sense of humour). I think we must have gone on 25 or 30 brothers' weekends including canoe tripping, sailing off the coast of North Carolina, renting various cottages and chalets, flying to resorts, hiking the Grand Canyon. As a game on the weekends we would try to name all the weekends we had been on.
Mark was generous. Always spending money on other people.
Our last weekend together was in August at Glen's on the Bruce Peninsula. Mark was sick then but we did not know how serious it was (he thought it was a lingering cold). We knew he was sick because he went to bed at 10 before the bridge started and Mark was usually the most avid bridge player of the 4 of us.
After Mark was diagnosed (which was only a month ago), he said to me, all he wants is his life back. He would not change a thing in the way he lived. He wanted to go to work. We liked his house, his world, his life, his Beth. There is wisdom in that - live the life you want.
On Sunday I had the privilege of sitting alone with him for an hour in ICU. He was lucid and talked (although with some difficulty). Even then he asked me how sales were going, how the marathon went etc. - still focusing not on himself right to the end.
Today he went home. There were no machines but the oxygen tube. Soft music was put on. He knew he was home.
Losing a brother is the toughest thing that has ever happened to me. It was not supposed to happen this soon.
Tonight, hold the ones you love close.
More on Mark on the Mark Estill Blog.
What can I say about losing my dear friend, confidant and protector?
I have memories.
As a child, I remember the games - hockey on the neighbourhood rink, baseball in the school yard, football, snowball fights, tobogganing etc.
Mark was especially close to my youngest brother Lyle. He was old enough to "take care" of Lyle and that lasted right to the end. Glen and I are only a year apart so we hung out together more.
Mark worked with me from the time we were young. Shoveling snow, painting houses then selling computers for many years.
After Mark moved to North Carolina about 15 years ago (he went there to help Lyle with the EMJ America branch), Mark set up a weekly call every Friday with me. He knew me well enough that it needed to be scheduled. We talked for 5 or 15 or 25 minutes about whatever was on our minds. We shared dreams, we confided. Mark was my sounding board and advisor.
He was the glue that held the brothers together. He was always there for family. Fully supportive of all our projects. He invented the "Brothers' Weekend" when Glen, Mark, Lyle and I would go somewhere to spend the weekend together hiking, playing bridge, laughing (Mark had a killer sense of humour). I think we must have gone on 25 or 30 brothers' weekends including canoe tripping, sailing off the coast of North Carolina, renting various cottages and chalets, flying to resorts, hiking the Grand Canyon. As a game on the weekends we would try to name all the weekends we had been on.
Mark was generous. Always spending money on other people.
Our last weekend together was in August at Glen's on the Bruce Peninsula. Mark was sick then but we did not know how serious it was (he thought it was a lingering cold). We knew he was sick because he went to bed at 10 before the bridge started and Mark was usually the most avid bridge player of the 4 of us.
After Mark was diagnosed (which was only a month ago), he said to me, all he wants is his life back. He would not change a thing in the way he lived. He wanted to go to work. We liked his house, his world, his life, his Beth. There is wisdom in that - live the life you want.
On Sunday I had the privilege of sitting alone with him for an hour in ICU. He was lucid and talked (although with some difficulty). Even then he asked me how sales were going, how the marathon went etc. - still focusing not on himself right to the end.
Today he went home. There were no machines but the oxygen tube. Soft music was put on. He knew he was home.
Losing a brother is the toughest thing that has ever happened to me. It was not supposed to happen this soon.
Tonight, hold the ones you love close.
More on Mark on the Mark Estill Blog.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Personal Update
After most the week in executive meetings in Greenville, I headed to Charlotte. Ran a half marathon Saturday morning. It was cool but not cold (about the freezing mark). Perfect day for a run. My time was 1:48:38 which was OK.
My mind was not on the run though, it was on my brother, Mark.
After the run, I had an ice water bath (it's a runner thing).
Then went to Chapel Hill to visit my brother Mark in intensive care the UNC hospital. He has lung cancer (and has never smoked which makes it seem unfair). On an hours notice, Mark decided to get married.
Brother Lyle does good updates on Mark at http://www.biofuels.coop/mark/. Lyle is a writer and writes poignantly. I cannot bear to write about it like he does.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
10 Ways to Learn Faster - Speed Learning
10 Ways to Learn Faster - Speed Learning
By Jim Estill
I spend a good portion of my time learning and I wish I could learn at a tremendously greater rate because I believe knowledge can be a competitive advantage. Knowledge is power; knowledge allows me to continue to thrive. As a result I have studied how I can learn faster. I blogged about learning faster a while ago.
Some tips are:
1) Repeat: Sometimes some of the things I need to learn are a little bit boring and I found the best way to learn them is through repetition. Space it over a bit of time for even better retention.
2) Use multiple senses: I learn when I listen to an audio program. I learn better when I listen to an audio program and make notes.
3) Take a speed-reading course: I have found that the greatest source of knowledge is through reading so it only makes sense to use the tool of speed-reading. Some people say they don't want to speed-read because they enjoy reading. Trust me, speed-reading does not take out the enjoyment of reading. If anything, it enhances it because you can read more. Others do not want to speed-read because they feel their comprehension will decrease; however, it won't. Trust me your comprehension will actually increase if you speed-read.
Consider speed-reading to be one of the best long-term investments that you can make.
4) Practise learning: I have a belief that we have multiple areas and facets of our mind and we tend to not exercise many parts of it. As a result I tend to do exercises for my mind outside of the area that I normally study. For example, I am not naturally a musical person so if I would try to do something musical, that stretches my mind. For some people, it might be learning a foreign language.
5) Exercise: I have read a lot on how to make a brain better and one of the repeated themes is to be healthy. The simplest of things is to create movement and exercise. This is everything from small passive movements to active engaged exercise. This is something I practise well.
6) Eat right: Eat nutritious food so that it will fuel your brain.
7) Sleep right -- yes, I finally said it. In my earlier time management seminars I often preached that sleep was for wimps. I have now changed my mind and believe that a lack of sleep causes a lack of learning, lack of memory, lack of retention and it just is not healthy. Because I want to be so involved in the world, it often bothers me that I have to sleep and I am afraid that I will miss things. I am not purposing that people over-sleep and I think seven hours is adequate for most people; but I do believe cutting sleep to less than five or six hours on a consistent basis is a bad idea.
8) Change: I find that learning for me tends to max out after I have been absorbed in something for a period of time. The easiest way for me to get around this is to change something else. It doesn't mean that I can't start learning something different but I tend to lose my focus, lose my learning energy after about 20 or 30 minutes. (I might be ADD.)
9) Have a learning plan: Like everything I do in life, having a plan helps me to move forward on things. There is no reason not to have a learning plan. What are the things that you want to learn, what are some tricks that will help you learn them?
10) Copy: One of the easiest ways to learn is to copy what others do and how other people learn. Simply copying how other people do things is often enough to get things done.
By Jim Estill
I spend a good portion of my time learning and I wish I could learn at a tremendously greater rate because I believe knowledge can be a competitive advantage. Knowledge is power; knowledge allows me to continue to thrive. As a result I have studied how I can learn faster. I blogged about learning faster a while ago.
Some tips are:
1) Repeat: Sometimes some of the things I need to learn are a little bit boring and I found the best way to learn them is through repetition. Space it over a bit of time for even better retention.
2) Use multiple senses: I learn when I listen to an audio program. I learn better when I listen to an audio program and make notes.
3) Take a speed-reading course: I have found that the greatest source of knowledge is through reading so it only makes sense to use the tool of speed-reading. Some people say they don't want to speed-read because they enjoy reading. Trust me, speed-reading does not take out the enjoyment of reading. If anything, it enhances it because you can read more. Others do not want to speed-read because they feel their comprehension will decrease; however, it won't. Trust me your comprehension will actually increase if you speed-read.
Consider speed-reading to be one of the best long-term investments that you can make.
4) Practise learning: I have a belief that we have multiple areas and facets of our mind and we tend to not exercise many parts of it. As a result I tend to do exercises for my mind outside of the area that I normally study. For example, I am not naturally a musical person so if I would try to do something musical, that stretches my mind. For some people, it might be learning a foreign language.
5) Exercise: I have read a lot on how to make a brain better and one of the repeated themes is to be healthy. The simplest of things is to create movement and exercise. This is everything from small passive movements to active engaged exercise. This is something I practise well.
6) Eat right: Eat nutritious food so that it will fuel your brain.
7) Sleep right -- yes, I finally said it. In my earlier time management seminars I often preached that sleep was for wimps. I have now changed my mind and believe that a lack of sleep causes a lack of learning, lack of memory, lack of retention and it just is not healthy. Because I want to be so involved in the world, it often bothers me that I have to sleep and I am afraid that I will miss things. I am not purposing that people over-sleep and I think seven hours is adequate for most people; but I do believe cutting sleep to less than five or six hours on a consistent basis is a bad idea.
8) Change: I find that learning for me tends to max out after I have been absorbed in something for a period of time. The easiest way for me to get around this is to change something else. It doesn't mean that I can't start learning something different but I tend to lose my focus, lose my learning energy after about 20 or 30 minutes. (I might be ADD.)
9) Have a learning plan: Like everything I do in life, having a plan helps me to move forward on things. There is no reason not to have a learning plan. What are the things that you want to learn, what are some tricks that will help you learn them?
10) Copy: One of the easiest ways to learn is to copy what others do and how other people learn. Simply copying how other people do things is often enough to get things done.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
High Altitude Leadership
Busy weekend with taking Directors College Friday and Saturday then rushing to a Christmas Party Saturday night. And then today, trying to get caught up on everything.
I had 2 articles "printed" this week. One in Profit Magazine about how to thrive in turbulent times. And the other one on CopyBlogger on the virtues of keeping things short. I am impressed with the readership copyblogger gets with 13 trackbacks and 62 comments already (and I did not think my topic was that controversial).
I recently read an outstanding book called, "High Altitude Leadership What the World's Most Forbidden Peaks Teach Us About Success" by Chris Warren and Don Schmincke.
The book has two story lines. One is about mountain climbing in the Himilayas interspersed with business lessons that can be learned from these mountain climbing expeditions.
Usually I am a business junky; however, I found the mountain climbing stories to be the page turner.
Mountain climbing has a lot to do with fear so there is a lot of discussion on fear and how you tame it in leadership.
Arrogance can also be death on a mountain climbing expedition and the infection of arrogance in leadership can also be death to leadership.
One of the concepts that I really liked was skilled based luck. This is essentially preparing for what might eventually happens and by being properly prepared (having the skill), it creates luck when things do happen.
I found the book to be a highly compelling and exciting page turner.
I had 2 articles "printed" this week. One in Profit Magazine about how to thrive in turbulent times. And the other one on CopyBlogger on the virtues of keeping things short. I am impressed with the readership copyblogger gets with 13 trackbacks and 62 comments already (and I did not think my topic was that controversial).
I recently read an outstanding book called, "High Altitude Leadership What the World's Most Forbidden Peaks Teach Us About Success" by Chris Warren and Don Schmincke.
The book has two story lines. One is about mountain climbing in the Himilayas interspersed with business lessons that can be learned from these mountain climbing expeditions.
Usually I am a business junky; however, I found the mountain climbing stories to be the page turner.
Mountain climbing has a lot to do with fear so there is a lot of discussion on fear and how you tame it in leadership.
Arrogance can also be death on a mountain climbing expedition and the infection of arrogance in leadership can also be death to leadership.
One of the concepts that I really liked was skilled based luck. This is essentially preparing for what might eventually happens and by being properly prepared (having the skill), it creates luck when things do happen.
I found the book to be a highly compelling and exciting page turner.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Know Thy Time by Peter Drucker
I received an email from a friend that included a section from the classic Peter Drucker book, "The Effective Executive" which has a chapter called, "Know Thy Time".
Time is also a unique resource. Of the other major resources, money is actually quite plentiful. We long ago should have learned that it is the demand for capital, rather than the supply thereof, which sets the limit to economic growth and activity. People -- the third limiting resources -- one can hire, though one can rarely hire enough good people. But one cannot rent, hire, buy, or otherwise obtain more time.
The supply of time is totally inelastic. No matter how high the demand, the supply will not go up. There is no price for it and no marginal utility curve for it. Moreover, time is totally perishable and cannot be stored. Yesterday's time is gone forever and will never come back. Time is, therefore always in exceedingly short supply.
Time is totally irreplaceable. Within limits we can substitute one resource for another, copper for aluminum, for instance. We can substitute capital for human labor. We can use more knowledge or more brawn. But there is no substitute for time.
Everything requires time. It is the only truly universal condition. All work takes place in time and uses up time. Yet most people take for granted this unique irreplaceable, and necessary resource. Nothing else, perhaps distinguishes effective executives as much as their tender loving care of time.
Man is ill-equipped to manage his time.
And another friend emailed me a great link at Economist's view on the need for reliable information and how that is partly what is causing the current economic uncertainty.
Time is also a unique resource. Of the other major resources, money is actually quite plentiful. We long ago should have learned that it is the demand for capital, rather than the supply thereof, which sets the limit to economic growth and activity. People -- the third limiting resources -- one can hire, though one can rarely hire enough good people. But one cannot rent, hire, buy, or otherwise obtain more time.
The supply of time is totally inelastic. No matter how high the demand, the supply will not go up. There is no price for it and no marginal utility curve for it. Moreover, time is totally perishable and cannot be stored. Yesterday's time is gone forever and will never come back. Time is, therefore always in exceedingly short supply.
Time is totally irreplaceable. Within limits we can substitute one resource for another, copper for aluminum, for instance. We can substitute capital for human labor. We can use more knowledge or more brawn. But there is no substitute for time.
Everything requires time. It is the only truly universal condition. All work takes place in time and uses up time. Yet most people take for granted this unique irreplaceable, and necessary resource. Nothing else, perhaps distinguishes effective executives as much as their tender loving care of time.
Man is ill-equipped to manage his time.
And another friend emailed me a great link at Economist's view on the need for reliable information and how that is partly what is causing the current economic uncertainty.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Time to Vote Again
My blog made the first cut on the Canadian Blog awards. Now there is a final selection round. If you have a minute, please click here and vote. The website appears as if you have not voted but you have if you click. I figure if my own blog readers won't vote for me, who will (my mom is one of my blog readers so can't ask her).
And the Channel Choice Awards are also open for voting. Click here to vote for your favourite distributor and other products.
And while I have you clicking, feel free to click here to sponsor me in the Canada's Fittest CEO Contest. I figure if I can't win, I might as well raise lots of $ for a good cause (Sick Kids Hospital).
So now I should give you the value you want from subscribing to this blog. Time Management Tip of the Day:
A CHANGE IS AS GOOD AS A REST.
I work hard and long hours. One way that I am able to keep productive is to switch tasks often.
For example, I do quite a bit of writing; however, I can't write for three hours at a time so I write for twenty minutes and then switch to a completely different task which is work related.
A change is as good as a rest.
And the Channel Choice Awards are also open for voting. Click here to vote for your favourite distributor and other products.
And while I have you clicking, feel free to click here to sponsor me in the Canada's Fittest CEO Contest. I figure if I can't win, I might as well raise lots of $ for a good cause (Sick Kids Hospital).
So now I should give you the value you want from subscribing to this blog. Time Management Tip of the Day:
A CHANGE IS AS GOOD AS A REST.
I work hard and long hours. One way that I am able to keep productive is to switch tasks often.
For example, I do quite a bit of writing; however, I can't write for three hours at a time so I write for twenty minutes and then switch to a completely different task which is work related.
A change is as good as a rest.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
8K race and Black Friday.
My outlook on the economy brightened some from the good sales on "Black Friday" in the US. Typically this is a huge day for retail. Sales were up 3% over last year. Much of the talk is that this is bad. It is not. Any growth is great.
I view the economy as a "condition". Something to be worked around. There are always opportunities regardless of external "conditions". Tough conditions can bring out the best in people and companies.
Speaking of conditions. I ran an 8 K (5 miles) trail race yesterday. The conditions were about the freezing mark. Most of the snow was tramped into slippery almost ice. There were sections of loose snow also. The route consisted of 4 loops. The better runners all had spikes. I am not going to get spikes for one trail race per year but I might try Yak Trax next year.
My plan was simple. 1/2 K slow to get a feel for it then speed up at every 500M mark. Of course that was foiled by the time I got to the first marker. There were too many people. And then I hit some hills. The downhills, I was worried about slipping and the uphills were hills (I knew I should have trained more). My time was 43:05 or about 5:23 per K. I can easily run 8 K in under 40 on a treadmill and on a good day in under 37:30. But the conditions...
Overall, it was a great day for a race. Despite what I consider to be a slow time, I am sore today.
I view the economy as a "condition". Something to be worked around. There are always opportunities regardless of external "conditions". Tough conditions can bring out the best in people and companies.
Speaking of conditions. I ran an 8 K (5 miles) trail race yesterday. The conditions were about the freezing mark. Most of the snow was tramped into slippery almost ice. There were sections of loose snow also. The route consisted of 4 loops. The better runners all had spikes. I am not going to get spikes for one trail race per year but I might try Yak Trax next year.
My plan was simple. 1/2 K slow to get a feel for it then speed up at every 500M mark. Of course that was foiled by the time I got to the first marker. There were too many people. And then I hit some hills. The downhills, I was worried about slipping and the uphills were hills (I knew I should have trained more). My time was 43:05 or about 5:23 per K. I can easily run 8 K in under 40 on a treadmill and on a good day in under 37:30. But the conditions...
Overall, it was a great day for a race. Despite what I consider to be a slow time, I am sore today.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Delayed Gratification and the Economy
I am trying to figure out how to deal with the current turbulent times. Today is a key day in US retail - Black Friday. Hopefully we will see strong sales.
Overall, I am a business optimist. We recover from all down cycles eventually. I actually find this an inspirational time to be in business. I wrote about this at the Create Business Growth Blog.
Books can have opposite views on what is going to happen with the economy. I think that sums up where everyone stands and that uncertainty adds to the crisis itself.
One book, "The Sub-prime Solution" by Robert J. Shiller talks about what got us into the problem.
It boils down to a failure by people to delay gratification which I have blogged about. We have great respect for people who delay their gratification. There has even been the famous marshmallow study. Children were given a marshmallow and told if they did not eat it when they were in the room alone that they would be given another marshmallow so they would have two. The study showed that those who did not eat the first marshmallow were more successful in life than those who ate the one in front of them rather than waiting for second one.
Unfortunately I see this in my business life where people who can't delay gratification tend not to be very successful. Instant gratification is the same challenge we sometimes have with people who get paid on Thursdays (they go out and get drunk) and miss work on Fridays.
The thesis of the book was the current meltdown in the financial market was equivalent to the repatriation crisis in Germany after the Treaty of Versailles at the end of WWI. The repayments that Germany was asked to provide were so onerous that ultimately WWII happened.
The author makes a parallel between that and the real-estate bubble particularly in the U.S. In the United States everyone was promised the right to own homes. Now that trust has been broken.
If you are feeling too cheerful, this is a great book to read.
The other book that had a more depressing name, "The Return of Depression Economics" by Paul Krugman examined what happened in the 1930s and made comparisons to today. The gist of it is that the crisis now will not be a depression because the current economy and countries are much stronger.
The investor panic that has hit is just that - it is panic and over reaction and in the medium term everything will return to "normal".
Read this one if the current economy has you depressed.
The titles of the books are opposite to their message.
Overall, I am a business optimist. We recover from all down cycles eventually. I actually find this an inspirational time to be in business. I wrote about this at the Create Business Growth Blog.
Books can have opposite views on what is going to happen with the economy. I think that sums up where everyone stands and that uncertainty adds to the crisis itself.
One book, "The Sub-prime Solution" by Robert J. Shiller talks about what got us into the problem.
It boils down to a failure by people to delay gratification which I have blogged about. We have great respect for people who delay their gratification. There has even been the famous marshmallow study. Children were given a marshmallow and told if they did not eat it when they were in the room alone that they would be given another marshmallow so they would have two. The study showed that those who did not eat the first marshmallow were more successful in life than those who ate the one in front of them rather than waiting for second one.
Unfortunately I see this in my business life where people who can't delay gratification tend not to be very successful. Instant gratification is the same challenge we sometimes have with people who get paid on Thursdays (they go out and get drunk) and miss work on Fridays.
The thesis of the book was the current meltdown in the financial market was equivalent to the repatriation crisis in Germany after the Treaty of Versailles at the end of WWI. The repayments that Germany was asked to provide were so onerous that ultimately WWII happened.
The author makes a parallel between that and the real-estate bubble particularly in the U.S. In the United States everyone was promised the right to own homes. Now that trust has been broken.
If you are feeling too cheerful, this is a great book to read.
The other book that had a more depressing name, "The Return of Depression Economics" by Paul Krugman examined what happened in the 1930s and made comparisons to today. The gist of it is that the crisis now will not be a depression because the current economy and countries are much stronger.
The investor panic that has hit is just that - it is panic and over reaction and in the medium term everything will return to "normal".
Read this one if the current economy has you depressed.
The titles of the books are opposite to their message.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Successful People Do Tough Things
My CEO Blog was nominated to the Canadian Blog Awards. Blatant plug - please vote for it here.
Successful People Do Tough Things
We respect people who do tough things and every job has some tough things that need to be done.
If we think about who we respect, it tends to be people who are great like athletes, or people who are highly educated like doctors, etc. Most of this involves a great deal of discipline and perseverance. We respect these people because they have been successful at doing tough things.
One of my mantras that I repeat often is, "Successful people do tough things." Simply saying this helps me to push myself to do the tough things that need to be done to succeed.
Saturday I ran an 8K trail run. This is quite different than the running I usually do so I am sore. It was snowy, icy, windy and cold. Good time to use "Successful People do Tough Things". There is the wintercross race next Saturday morning which I am entered in so I figure running the trail once might be a good idea.
I am entered in Canada's fittest CEO challenge to raise money for sick kids. No illusions of winning that one with only 2 months to go. But I am a bit competitive so will kick into gear.
Successful People Do Tough Things
We respect people who do tough things and every job has some tough things that need to be done.
If we think about who we respect, it tends to be people who are great like athletes, or people who are highly educated like doctors, etc. Most of this involves a great deal of discipline and perseverance. We respect these people because they have been successful at doing tough things.
One of my mantras that I repeat often is, "Successful people do tough things." Simply saying this helps me to push myself to do the tough things that need to be done to succeed.
Saturday I ran an 8K trail run. This is quite different than the running I usually do so I am sore. It was snowy, icy, windy and cold. Good time to use "Successful People do Tough Things". There is the wintercross race next Saturday morning which I am entered in so I figure running the trail once might be a good idea.
I am entered in Canada's fittest CEO challenge to raise money for sick kids. No illusions of winning that one with only 2 months to go. But I am a bit competitive so will kick into gear.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
The Paradox of Success
I am deeply saddened to learn my older brother, Mark, has cancer. Mark was my protector when I was young and is the glue that holds the Estill brothers together. He is young, feisty and strong. He has the best sense of humour of anyone I know. All characteristics needed to win the fight.
This weighs heavy on my mind.
Changing topics:
Success Paradox
People are a lot like companies, once they think they are good they tend to stop listening. Success can lead to stopping growth and learning.
This can create a success paradox. The more successful a person is, the less willing people are to tell them the truth and at the same time, the less willing they tend to be to listen and learn.
For people and companies to thrive, they need to know that they are not that good; they need to continually thrive to be better.
Arrogance can be the downfall of successful people or successful companies. Perhaps arrogance is a self correcting mechanism.
Just an observation: One challenge this constantly "not good enough" can lead to is a lack of celebration of success.
This weighs heavy on my mind.
Changing topics:
Success Paradox
People are a lot like companies, once they think they are good they tend to stop listening. Success can lead to stopping growth and learning.
This can create a success paradox. The more successful a person is, the less willing people are to tell them the truth and at the same time, the less willing they tend to be to listen and learn.
For people and companies to thrive, they need to know that they are not that good; they need to continually thrive to be better.
Arrogance can be the downfall of successful people or successful companies. Perhaps arrogance is a self correcting mechanism.
Just an observation: One challenge this constantly "not good enough" can lead to is a lack of celebration of success.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Calculated Risk
I am noticing more focus on risk these days when I read/study governance and boards of directors' material as well as the documents I receive from accounting firms. Many seem to approach this as "risk is bad".
As an entrepreneur, I believe that part of my job is to take risks and I think we have to be cautious not to become a business culture where we tolerate no risks. Success in business will be had only by taking calculated risks.
I have often said, "Fail often, fail fast, fail cheap" because having small failures is the best way to experiment to determine what will be the best business successes.
Of course my analysis would be if there is risk to make sure that the fail cheap part is followed. What this means is that you are not necessarily risking the entire company and that any risk that is taken is recoverable.
It also involves entrepreneur pessimism which is not a very common characteristic. Most entrepreneurs are highly optimistic so tend to look only at the upside. By looking at the downside, you are able to structure things such that the downside is not as painful. This should be the only role that risk management has. Risk management should not take the role of preventing companies from taking risk.
I also do understand that part of the role in risk assessment is for disclosure. I am seeing risks from floods, tornadoes, hurricanes and the sky falling added to the risk list so the disclosure becomes almost meaningless because no one has time to sift through to figure out what the real business risks are.
I will also say that equity investors need to understand that they are investing in equity so there is risk.
I plan to invest my money with executives who plan on taking risks. Without risks, companies will not be able to thrive.
As an entrepreneur, I believe that part of my job is to take risks and I think we have to be cautious not to become a business culture where we tolerate no risks. Success in business will be had only by taking calculated risks.
I have often said, "Fail often, fail fast, fail cheap" because having small failures is the best way to experiment to determine what will be the best business successes.
Of course my analysis would be if there is risk to make sure that the fail cheap part is followed. What this means is that you are not necessarily risking the entire company and that any risk that is taken is recoverable.
It also involves entrepreneur pessimism which is not a very common characteristic. Most entrepreneurs are highly optimistic so tend to look only at the upside. By looking at the downside, you are able to structure things such that the downside is not as painful. This should be the only role that risk management has. Risk management should not take the role of preventing companies from taking risk.
I also do understand that part of the role in risk assessment is for disclosure. I am seeing risks from floods, tornadoes, hurricanes and the sky falling added to the risk list so the disclosure becomes almost meaningless because no one has time to sift through to figure out what the real business risks are.
I will also say that equity investors need to understand that they are investing in equity so there is risk.
I plan to invest my money with executives who plan on taking risks. Without risks, companies will not be able to thrive.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
The Drunkard's Walk
On the weekend I read an awesome book (you might not like it as much as me; but I have always had a fascination with probability). The book was called "The Drunkard's Walk - How Randomness Rules Our Lives," by Leonard Mlodinow.
It refreshed my memory on the many aspects of probability and how people tend to be irrational and not consider the true probability of things happening.
A good understanding of probability can help with proper decision making. A poor understanding of probability can lead to fallacies.
The biggest example of this would be gambling addictions where people start to believe that they can have an influence on the outcome of random events. For example, continuing to play slot machines on the theory that if they haven't paid for a while, they will pay more even though the outcome of every slot machine pull is the same as the start of the pull as in any other pull.
I was also reminded that often small samples can be taken which that can be very statistically accurate on the views on a large population.
One example the probability of two people in a room having the same birthday is over 50% if there are only 23 people in the room. Of course to get 100% probability you would need to have 184 people in the room (that takes into account leap year).
It also talked about people's view of fate or destiny and how sometimes that can cloud people's view of randomness.
The book starts with a captivating prologue:
"A few years ago a man won the Spanish national lottery with a ticket that ended in the number 48. Proud of his "accomplishment," he revealed the theory that brought him the riches. I dreamed of the number 7 for seven straight nights, he said, "and 7 times 7 is 48." Those of us with a better command of our multiplication tables might chuckle at the man's error, but we all create our own view of the world and then employ it to filter and process our perceptions, extracting meaning from the ocean of data that washes over us in daily life. And we often make errors that, though less obvious, are just as significant as his."
And changing topics:
I was very impressed with a young singer/songwriter - Tara Jamieson who wrote a Remembrance Day song. I think she is about 13 or 14. Hoping by giving her this shameless plug on my blog that she will still speak to me when she is famous. (Although a part of me is concerned that she is letting her music get in the way of her future sales career with SYNNEX)
It refreshed my memory on the many aspects of probability and how people tend to be irrational and not consider the true probability of things happening.
A good understanding of probability can help with proper decision making. A poor understanding of probability can lead to fallacies.
The biggest example of this would be gambling addictions where people start to believe that they can have an influence on the outcome of random events. For example, continuing to play slot machines on the theory that if they haven't paid for a while, they will pay more even though the outcome of every slot machine pull is the same as the start of the pull as in any other pull.
I was also reminded that often small samples can be taken which that can be very statistically accurate on the views on a large population.
One example the probability of two people in a room having the same birthday is over 50% if there are only 23 people in the room. Of course to get 100% probability you would need to have 184 people in the room (that takes into account leap year).
It also talked about people's view of fate or destiny and how sometimes that can cloud people's view of randomness.
The book starts with a captivating prologue:
"A few years ago a man won the Spanish national lottery with a ticket that ended in the number 48. Proud of his "accomplishment," he revealed the theory that brought him the riches. I dreamed of the number 7 for seven straight nights, he said, "and 7 times 7 is 48." Those of us with a better command of our multiplication tables might chuckle at the man's error, but we all create our own view of the world and then employ it to filter and process our perceptions, extracting meaning from the ocean of data that washes over us in daily life. And we often make errors that, though less obvious, are just as significant as his."
And changing topics:
I was very impressed with a young singer/songwriter - Tara Jamieson who wrote a Remembrance Day song. I think she is about 13 or 14. Hoping by giving her this shameless plug on my blog that she will still speak to me when she is famous. (Although a part of me is concerned that she is letting her music get in the way of her future sales career with SYNNEX)
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Erwin Schild - The Very Narrow Passage
I felt lazy yesterday. Accomplished almost nothing. Did a bit of email. Read a book. Did run 3 miles fast (by my standards). Sometimes it is good for me to have downtime.
Last night I attended a great bluegrass house party at Marnie Niemi's. Good live music. Old fashioned fun.
Today, I heard Erwin Schild speak. His story is captivating. He is an 88 year old Rabbi who survived a short stint at Dachau. He was an 18 year old in a Jewish Teachers' Seminary on November 9/1939 (Krisallnacht - Night of Broken Glass when most synagogues and many Jewish homes in Germany were ruined, burned and destroyed). The Nazis destroyed his school and took him prisoner.
He escaped from Dachau to Britain. Even that would be incredible but it did not end there. After a year and a half of freedom he was captured by the British and sent for internment in Canada as a "German" - which he was - a German Jew.
Rabbi Schild today preaches religious tolerance. He preaches the need for inter-religion relations as the way to protect everyone.
The Nazi's reigned by terror and surely any who objected to what was happening would be silenced. This was not a good excuse though for silence. I wonder if I would have had the courage to do the right thing in those circumstances. Hopefully I will never be tested.
It makes any challenge I have had in my life look like child's play.
Much of success in life is not about what happens to us, it is how we react to it. It is attitude. Schild has a great attitude that we all can learn from.
I bought a copy of his book "The Very Narrow Bridge - A Memoir of an Uncertain Passage". I look forward to reading it.
Last night I attended a great bluegrass house party at Marnie Niemi's. Good live music. Old fashioned fun.
Today, I heard Erwin Schild speak. His story is captivating. He is an 88 year old Rabbi who survived a short stint at Dachau. He was an 18 year old in a Jewish Teachers' Seminary on November 9/1939 (Krisallnacht - Night of Broken Glass when most synagogues and many Jewish homes in Germany were ruined, burned and destroyed). The Nazis destroyed his school and took him prisoner.
He escaped from Dachau to Britain. Even that would be incredible but it did not end there. After a year and a half of freedom he was captured by the British and sent for internment in Canada as a "German" - which he was - a German Jew.
Rabbi Schild today preaches religious tolerance. He preaches the need for inter-religion relations as the way to protect everyone.
The Nazi's reigned by terror and surely any who objected to what was happening would be silenced. This was not a good excuse though for silence. I wonder if I would have had the courage to do the right thing in those circumstances. Hopefully I will never be tested.
It makes any challenge I have had in my life look like child's play.
Much of success in life is not about what happens to us, it is how we react to it. It is attitude. Schild has a great attitude that we all can learn from.
I bought a copy of his book "The Very Narrow Bridge - A Memoir of an Uncertain Passage". I look forward to reading it.
Friday, November 7, 2008
How to Sell More in a Down Market
I recently read an e-book by Randy Goruk called, "How to Sell More in a Down Market -- The Leadership Secrets of Dynamite Sales Results". One thing I like about it is he is applying leadership secrets to sales just like I do in my time leadership book, applying leadership secrets to Time Management.
I would largely call his book a re-mix. It uses truths that have previously been revealed. There is really nothing wrong with a good re-mix (largely in my time management book is a re-mix) taking the best of various materials sorting them, compiling them, and sharing them.
The book is rich with quotations and rich with links to other material.
I particularly likes its upbeat attitude and I agree completely with the thesis that just because the market is down that we can continue to sell more.
One of the quotes that he used was:
Complaining is not a strategy (Randy Pausch)
From the eBook:
Leaders should always remember;
- The value of time
- The success of perseverance
- the pleasure of working
- The dignity of simplicity
- The worth of character
- The power of kindness
- The influence of example
- The obligation of duty
- The wisdom of economy
- The virtue of patience
- The improvement of talent
- The joy of originating
His leadership approach is straightforward and practical. It has six elements.
1. Accept full accountability for your results
2. Adopt leadership attributes for success
3. Become inspired and motivated
4. Become a personal productivity champion
5. Learn to plan like a leader
6. Take responsibility in further developing your leadership and sales professional skills
Now I need to get out and sell.
I would largely call his book a re-mix. It uses truths that have previously been revealed. There is really nothing wrong with a good re-mix (largely in my time management book is a re-mix) taking the best of various materials sorting them, compiling them, and sharing them.
The book is rich with quotations and rich with links to other material.
I particularly likes its upbeat attitude and I agree completely with the thesis that just because the market is down that we can continue to sell more.
One of the quotes that he used was:
Complaining is not a strategy (Randy Pausch)
From the eBook:
Leaders should always remember;
- The value of time
- The success of perseverance
- the pleasure of working
- The dignity of simplicity
- The worth of character
- The power of kindness
- The influence of example
- The obligation of duty
- The wisdom of economy
- The virtue of patience
- The improvement of talent
- The joy of originating
His leadership approach is straightforward and practical. It has six elements.
1. Accept full accountability for your results
2. Adopt leadership attributes for success
3. Become inspired and motivated
4. Become a personal productivity champion
5. Learn to plan like a leader
6. Take responsibility in further developing your leadership and sales professional skills
Now I need to get out and sell.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Brain Rules
One lone tree on my walk to work on the weekend still has its leaves. This is part of my save time working out - walk to work program.
I recently read a book by John Medina called, "Brain Rules -- 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School".
The book started very interestingly with the first rule being exercise to boost brain power where he gave lots of examples of how exercise helps brain function. He also dumped all over our school and workplace set up which encourages no activity so low brain function. Since I am a health guy and believe in exercise, I really resonated with that idea.
The book included a DVD that was about 40 minutes long. Since I had been inspired about the exercise I watched the DVD while I was on my treadmill while trying to read the rest of the book. Of course, one of Medina's rules is that multitasking does not work so I stopped reading the book and just watched the DVD while I was walking on the treadmill (not running). I have blogged on the myth of multi-tasking before. I don't think walking counts as multi-tasking because the one task (walking) is an automatic task.
Since I want to know how to learn faster and better and more easily, I enjoyed the book. Two of the 12 rules related to memory. For short or long term memory we need to repeat things a few times to ourselves -- repetition helps.
Of course, no book on the brain would be complete without a rule on sleep. The obvious gist is to sleep well -- think well.
He also talked about the negative impact of stress which is largely an inappropriate reaction to things. When you can understand that it is just simply a inappropriate reaction, you can deal with it so that it does not become stressful.
He talked about remembering more by stimulating more senses and how we remember more when things are emotionally charged and vision has the strongest sense.
His finally rule was exploration -- we are powerful and natural explorers. Curiosity is good. I like that rule since I am naturally curious and naturally a learner (although perhaps too focused on self-development and business).
I recommend the book. Its a good read.
And business quote for the day:
"Tough times never last but tough people do" (Robert H. Schuller)
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Conversational Capital - How to create stuff people love to talk about
I made it back from LA in time to get Halloween candy and go trick or treating. And yes, I do go trick or treating. I figure people are expecting guests so don't mind if one more stops by. And I lead such a busy life, I often do not spend time with my neighbours. So stopped by Doc and Charmian Christies and had a great chat about Search Engine Optimization.
I read recently Conversational Capital - How to create stuff people love to talk about by Bertrand Cesvet with Tony Babinski and Eric Alper.
I love marketing. And I am frugal. So Conversational Capital seemed like a natural. The gist of the message is create a product or service that is over the top so people tell their friends and come back. Word of mouth is much more powerful than most advertising. The challenge is how to get it.
Conversational Capital talks about 8 characteristics of companies that create great buzz (that's my word, not theirs - they believe they are talking about more than just buzz).
Rituals - EG. Singapore Airlines bow to each passenger as they enter
Initiation - EG. Assembling the Ikea furniture
Exclusive Product Offering - EG - iTunes allowing just one song to be bought
Myths and Stories - EG the story of EMJ starting from the trunk of my car
Relevant Sensory Oddity - EG the VW Beetle odd look
Icons - EG the Eiffel tower
Tribalism - EG - Everyone who drives a Prius waves at me (when I drive my Prius)
Endorsement - EG a celebrity using a product
(sorry you have to read the book if you want more explanation on each term). The message is you love to have all of these but even having some can create conversation.
Much of what the book had to say is just common sense (which is not that common). Over deliver and people will talk about your business.
Now our challenge is to apply this to SYNNEX. We have some - we need more.
I read recently Conversational Capital - How to create stuff people love to talk about by Bertrand Cesvet with Tony Babinski and Eric Alper.
I love marketing. And I am frugal. So Conversational Capital seemed like a natural. The gist of the message is create a product or service that is over the top so people tell their friends and come back. Word of mouth is much more powerful than most advertising. The challenge is how to get it.
Conversational Capital talks about 8 characteristics of companies that create great buzz (that's my word, not theirs - they believe they are talking about more than just buzz).
Rituals - EG. Singapore Airlines bow to each passenger as they enter
Initiation - EG. Assembling the Ikea furniture
Exclusive Product Offering - EG - iTunes allowing just one song to be bought
Myths and Stories - EG the story of EMJ starting from the trunk of my car
Relevant Sensory Oddity - EG the VW Beetle odd look
Icons - EG the Eiffel tower
Tribalism - EG - Everyone who drives a Prius waves at me (when I drive my Prius)
Endorsement - EG a celebrity using a product
(sorry you have to read the book if you want more explanation on each term). The message is you love to have all of these but even having some can create conversation.
Much of what the book had to say is just common sense (which is not that common). Over deliver and people will talk about your business.
Now our challenge is to apply this to SYNNEX. We have some - we need more.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Generosity to Change
My time management has been to not post this week. I have been traveling and busy of course. As a matter of fact, I woke up to snow earlier this week in Banff. I was there speaking at a Technoplanet event. They run events well.
I was at Directors College this weekend. One of the speakers - John Della Costa spoke on the Ethics of Governance. One phrase he used that really resonated was people need to have "the generosity to change". Interesting concept. It is generous to change. To not change is stubborn and selfish. Interesting.
Key to change for me is to study what is changing in the world and try to figure out what I need to do to adapt. Partly it goes back to my "Fail Often, Fail Fast, Fail Cheap". Partly it speaks to looking forward and trying to figure out the future (and how I can shape it).
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Change is Opportunity - Be Adaptable
I am at Blue Mountain at a SYNNEX sales retreat. It has been an awesome high energy event. I really like the quality of the people we have. Our results so far this year have been outstanding so it is too bad the economy has taken such a dive as that adds a somber note to it all.
I am taking time off the morning activity to get caught up on email and get a few things done. Travel tends to put me behind.
I am thinking a lot about the turbulence in markets and the impact it will have on business. There are major opportunities for strong companies like SYNNEX. At the same time, it is always tougher to hit sales goals in softer economies.
In my opinion, this downturn is unlike any other that has occurred in the past 50 years. It will be deeper and involve more change than any previous recession.
One thing that is certain is there will be major change. Change is opportunity.
In change, it is not always the strong who thrive, it is the adaptable. Smaller companies tend to be more adaptable and can change more easily than large ones. The key has always been for SYNNEX, which is fairly large, to act smaller than we are. To keep our velocity and fight the paralysis that often accompanies turbulent times.
I believe adaptability can be learned. I believe people and companies can consciously decide to adapt. Part of that is accepting that it is necessary. Part of that is fighting fear and stepping up to change. For me, a large part of that will include study (one of my ways of figuring things out is always to study).
It will be interesting times for the next few years. Times like these are when great leaders can shine.
Quote for the day:
Fortune does not change people, it unmasks them.
Susan Necker 1739-1794
I am taking time off the morning activity to get caught up on email and get a few things done. Travel tends to put me behind.
I am thinking a lot about the turbulence in markets and the impact it will have on business. There are major opportunities for strong companies like SYNNEX. At the same time, it is always tougher to hit sales goals in softer economies.
In my opinion, this downturn is unlike any other that has occurred in the past 50 years. It will be deeper and involve more change than any previous recession.
One thing that is certain is there will be major change. Change is opportunity.
In change, it is not always the strong who thrive, it is the adaptable. Smaller companies tend to be more adaptable and can change more easily than large ones. The key has always been for SYNNEX, which is fairly large, to act smaller than we are. To keep our velocity and fight the paralysis that often accompanies turbulent times.
I believe adaptability can be learned. I believe people and companies can consciously decide to adapt. Part of that is accepting that it is necessary. Part of that is fighting fear and stepping up to change. For me, a large part of that will include study (one of my ways of figuring things out is always to study).
It will be interesting times for the next few years. Times like these are when great leaders can shine.
Quote for the day:
Fortune does not change people, it unmasks them.
Susan Necker 1739-1794
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Time Management and Priorities
Priorities - the Quest for Effectiveness
The key to effectiveness is working on the right priority items.
Every time management book I have read (including my own) suggests that you have a To Do List and one of the reasons is so you can prioritize what is most important to do.
The key with priorities is:
1. They change, what might be a top priority today might be a low priority tomorrow and visa versa. I know the current state of the financial markets certainly caused me to shift a lot of my priorities fast.
2. Most people tend to spend their time on the urgent and not necessarily the important. The key with priorities is to think about what are the important things. It seems like shorter deadline things tend to take priority but when you look at truly successful people, they tend to focus on long term, keeping priorities straight, and working on long term priorities and that tends to be where success is had.
3. Perfection kills: one thing that stops people from working on priority tasks is perfectionism. I am not saying that it is never right to do something perfectly; however, often good enough is fine.
4. The 15 minute rule: one trick I use is to work on a priority task for 15 minutes. Even spending just 15 minutes on it tends to move me forward.
5. One trick on To Do Lists is to add the first task to do to get the to do list moved forward on the list. Often simply putting it on the list makes me start doing it. And it makes me think about what needs to be done.
6. Life is about making choices but life has fewer limits than you might think. Often I have many priorities to deal with at the same time. Although sometimes it makes me feel stressed, I realize it is who I am.
7. A change is as good as a rest. Often switching from one priority task to another priority task can help you be more effective.
8. Ask for input. One of the tricks that I use is to list my priorities and then circulate them to a few people and ask if they seem like appropriate priorities. From that I get feedback and I am able to change the list so I work on the appropriate items.
9. Share priorities and you will get help. By letting people know what my priorities are, I am often able to get other people to help me.
10. Important priorities are often not the easy path, but successful people do tough things and that is one of the things that I say to motivate myself to do some of those difficult things.
Now I have to think of my priorities. I am sitting in the airport lounge in Hong Kong (spent a week at the Electronics show). About to board a 15 hour flight. I need to switch my time zone by 12 hours. When I get back, I need to be "on" because we have a sales conference this weekend.
I am mindful of the need for rest as well as the need for productivity. It is a balance.
The key to effectiveness is working on the right priority items.
Every time management book I have read (including my own) suggests that you have a To Do List and one of the reasons is so you can prioritize what is most important to do.
The key with priorities is:
1. They change, what might be a top priority today might be a low priority tomorrow and visa versa. I know the current state of the financial markets certainly caused me to shift a lot of my priorities fast.
2. Most people tend to spend their time on the urgent and not necessarily the important. The key with priorities is to think about what are the important things. It seems like shorter deadline things tend to take priority but when you look at truly successful people, they tend to focus on long term, keeping priorities straight, and working on long term priorities and that tends to be where success is had.
3. Perfection kills: one thing that stops people from working on priority tasks is perfectionism. I am not saying that it is never right to do something perfectly; however, often good enough is fine.
4. The 15 minute rule: one trick I use is to work on a priority task for 15 minutes. Even spending just 15 minutes on it tends to move me forward.
5. One trick on To Do Lists is to add the first task to do to get the to do list moved forward on the list. Often simply putting it on the list makes me start doing it. And it makes me think about what needs to be done.
6. Life is about making choices but life has fewer limits than you might think. Often I have many priorities to deal with at the same time. Although sometimes it makes me feel stressed, I realize it is who I am.
7. A change is as good as a rest. Often switching from one priority task to another priority task can help you be more effective.
8. Ask for input. One of the tricks that I use is to list my priorities and then circulate them to a few people and ask if they seem like appropriate priorities. From that I get feedback and I am able to change the list so I work on the appropriate items.
9. Share priorities and you will get help. By letting people know what my priorities are, I am often able to get other people to help me.
10. Important priorities are often not the easy path, but successful people do tough things and that is one of the things that I say to motivate myself to do some of those difficult things.
Now I have to think of my priorities. I am sitting in the airport lounge in Hong Kong (spent a week at the Electronics show). About to board a 15 hour flight. I need to switch my time zone by 12 hours. When I get back, I need to be "on" because we have a sales conference this weekend.
I am mindful of the need for rest as well as the need for productivity. It is a balance.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Engagement is Not Enough
On a recent flight I read "Engagement Is Not Enough You Need Passionate Employees to Achieve Your Dream" by Keith E. Ayers.
This truly is an outstanding book. I must admit for the first section, it took me a while to get into it, almost to the point of discontinuing it. Much of the first section dwells on how having employees that are not engaged are not good for a company -- duh!
It cited many statistical studies of how few employees are engaged and the damage it does for a company. Scary stuff.
In todays' turbulent times, employees are likely to be more engaged. They fear for their companies and know they need to go the extra mile. Fear is a very strong motivator. This is also a great time for companies to Topgrade - replace B players with A players (and usually the difference is just engagement between A and B players). And there will be a lot of very good people who need jobs because many larger companies reduce headcount based on only one dimension of what the person does or how they are. They lose the other golden attributes of their people.
The book calls heavily on some existing psychological theories like DiSC and different personality types.
It was not until Chapter 7 -- "Values -- The Missing Link" that I became truly inspired. I know for my own motivation if my values are aligned with my goals, I am unstoppable, so it should come at no surprise that the same is true of organizations. If people work for a company whose values are aligned with their own then clearly they will be highly engaged and unstoppable.
I am adding this to my list of "Must Read Books" for any business person.
This truly is an outstanding book. I must admit for the first section, it took me a while to get into it, almost to the point of discontinuing it. Much of the first section dwells on how having employees that are not engaged are not good for a company -- duh!
It cited many statistical studies of how few employees are engaged and the damage it does for a company. Scary stuff.
In todays' turbulent times, employees are likely to be more engaged. They fear for their companies and know they need to go the extra mile. Fear is a very strong motivator. This is also a great time for companies to Topgrade - replace B players with A players (and usually the difference is just engagement between A and B players). And there will be a lot of very good people who need jobs because many larger companies reduce headcount based on only one dimension of what the person does or how they are. They lose the other golden attributes of their people.
The book calls heavily on some existing psychological theories like DiSC and different personality types.
It was not until Chapter 7 -- "Values -- The Missing Link" that I became truly inspired. I know for my own motivation if my values are aligned with my goals, I am unstoppable, so it should come at no surprise that the same is true of organizations. If people work for a company whose values are aligned with their own then clearly they will be highly engaged and unstoppable.
I am adding this to my list of "Must Read Books" for any business person.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
The Era of the Short Book - Talk Ain't Cheap...It's Priceless
I recently dropped a book on one of my friend's desk to which he said, "Oh, No". This was surprising because I know this person is a reader and the topic was of interest to him.
That got me thinking that if even he thinks big books are too long, should we look at writing books that are shorter. There is something in us that makes us think that we should write something longer rather than shorter. Goes back to my succinct is best.
I know there has been a trend for the New York Times best seller to decrease in length. Or just go in any bookstore and you can see this trend.
Speaking of short books, I read, "Talk Ain't Cheap... It's Priceless! Connecting in a Disconnect World" by Eileen McDargh.
This is one of those short books (51 pages) that is meant to be bought in quantity for a company or for a seminar.
The gist of the book is so simple and obvious that it is worth saying. Sometimes we get caught up in electronic communications like email that we don't actually talk to people.
Communication is key and often things are communicated more fully in person. It is tough to read body language in an email.
One line in the book hit me and that was, "How will they feel?" How the person feels when they are talked to is critical. And the only way to get closer to reading that is to be in person.
That got me thinking that if even he thinks big books are too long, should we look at writing books that are shorter. There is something in us that makes us think that we should write something longer rather than shorter. Goes back to my succinct is best.
I know there has been a trend for the New York Times best seller to decrease in length. Or just go in any bookstore and you can see this trend.
Speaking of short books, I read, "Talk Ain't Cheap... It's Priceless! Connecting in a Disconnect World" by Eileen McDargh.
This is one of those short books (51 pages) that is meant to be bought in quantity for a company or for a seminar.
The gist of the book is so simple and obvious that it is worth saying. Sometimes we get caught up in electronic communications like email that we don't actually talk to people.
Communication is key and often things are communicated more fully in person. It is tough to read body language in an email.
One line in the book hit me and that was, "How will they feel?" How the person feels when they are talked to is critical. And the only way to get closer to reading that is to be in person.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Now is the Time for Great Leadership
Turbulent times call for great leaders.
Fear is the challenge that many leaders face in tough times. That can cause paralysis and overreaction. Our challenge is to recognize this and adapt and not overreact.
Part of adapting will involve creativity. Old plans need to be revisited. Constructive creativity is key. Part of adapting will involve change. In every change is opportunity. Good vision comes from looking at the changes and figuring out how to capitalize on them. Embrace change now more than ever.
We grow the most when we are challenged.
Fear is the challenge that many leaders face in tough times. That can cause paralysis and overreaction. Our challenge is to recognize this and adapt and not overreact.
Part of adapting will involve creativity. Old plans need to be revisited. Constructive creativity is key. Part of adapting will involve change. In every change is opportunity. Good vision comes from looking at the changes and figuring out how to capitalize on them. Embrace change now more than ever.
We grow the most when we are challenged.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
The Myth of Multitasking
On my flight home today, I read a book called, "The Myth of Multitasking - How "Doing it all" gets nothing done" by David Crenshaw.
The book is a small page size and only 125 pages. Perhaps he is trying to cater to those people who don't have enough time.
The writer's style is storybook format which some people prefer (but I am not one of them).
The title says it all -- multitasking is a myth and I am a big believer in this. We don't actually multitask; we switch quickly from one task to another and often when we multitask we don't get the higher priority things done. I wrote an article on 6 times to effectively multitask. Might sound like a conflict with this book but not really.
The book tells a story of an office worker as she works through his challenges with trying to get everything done and points out how multitasking has been alienating others in the office.
The story is told of Helen who is a chronic multitasker whose multitasking is causing stress for her as well as her co-workers. The story tells of her being mentored by Phil who explains all of the costs of multitasking and the ways of reducing multitasking.
Although the title says it all, it is never bad to have a good refresher.
Quotes of the day:
"Eleven, the average number of minutes an employee can devote to a project before it being interrupted."
A study conducted by Irvine, Department of Information of Computer Science, University of California, Irvine.
"Multitasking? I can't even do two things at once. I can't even do one things at once."
by Helena Bonham Carter.
"Multitasking is worse than a lie"
Another Book Title by David Crenshaw
The book is a small page size and only 125 pages. Perhaps he is trying to cater to those people who don't have enough time.
The writer's style is storybook format which some people prefer (but I am not one of them).
The title says it all -- multitasking is a myth and I am a big believer in this. We don't actually multitask; we switch quickly from one task to another and often when we multitask we don't get the higher priority things done. I wrote an article on 6 times to effectively multitask. Might sound like a conflict with this book but not really.
The book tells a story of an office worker as she works through his challenges with trying to get everything done and points out how multitasking has been alienating others in the office.
The story is told of Helen who is a chronic multitasker whose multitasking is causing stress for her as well as her co-workers. The story tells of her being mentored by Phil who explains all of the costs of multitasking and the ways of reducing multitasking.
Although the title says it all, it is never bad to have a good refresher.
Quotes of the day:
"Eleven, the average number of minutes an employee can devote to a project before it being interrupted."
A study conducted by Irvine, Department of Information of Computer Science, University of California, Irvine.
"Multitasking? I can't even do two things at once. I can't even do one things at once."
by Helena Bonham Carter.
"Multitasking is worse than a lie"
Another Book Title by David Crenshaw
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Teamwork - Nascar Style
I am at the SYNNEX National Sales conference in beautiful Charlotte, North Carolina. It is a great event. Good attendence, high energy and well orchestrated.
This morning, one of the speakers was Larry McReynolds, a famous Nascar pitt crew leader. He is now a commentator on Nascar and wrote a book "How to Become a Winning Crew Chief".
I liked him. He spoke of having goals for his speech. To give us just one or two gems we can use. I like people who set goals before they do things.
He spoke about teamwork. Interesting that the winning Nascar team is named by the driver - like Jimmie Johnston unlike most sports teams that are called by a team name. Nascar is clearly about a closely orchestrated team - pit crew, mechanics, driver etc - very much a team sport.
Larrys' 3 rules about the constant pursuit of excellence are:
1 - never be 100% content. Yes, celebrate your wins but move on.
2 - Always try to make the next one better. This would be my "if you do what you alway did, the world will change and you will lose" or "what got you here won't get you there".
3 - Always evaluate. It is a good way to learn.
Good simple advice.
This morning, one of the speakers was Larry McReynolds, a famous Nascar pitt crew leader. He is now a commentator on Nascar and wrote a book "How to Become a Winning Crew Chief".
I liked him. He spoke of having goals for his speech. To give us just one or two gems we can use. I like people who set goals before they do things.
He spoke about teamwork. Interesting that the winning Nascar team is named by the driver - like Jimmie Johnston unlike most sports teams that are called by a team name. Nascar is clearly about a closely orchestrated team - pit crew, mechanics, driver etc - very much a team sport.
Larrys' 3 rules about the constant pursuit of excellence are:
1 - never be 100% content. Yes, celebrate your wins but move on.
2 - Always try to make the next one better. This would be my "if you do what you alway did, the world will change and you will lose" or "what got you here won't get you there".
3 - Always evaluate. It is a good way to learn.
Good simple advice.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Iconoclast
I read a book review on "Iconoclast" by Gregory Berns in Fast Company, October 2008.
Iconoclast in the case of the book means to One who attacks cherished beliefs. I think most entrepreneurs are good at this. They challenge the known and think creatively.
The following is a summary of Iconoclast from Fast Company:
-- The brain is fundamentally a lazy piece of meat. It doesn't want to waste energy.
-- In order to think creatively, you must develop new neural pathways and break out of the cycle of experience - dependant categorization. As Mark Twain said, "Education consists mainly in what we have unlearned." For most people, this does not come naturally. Often, the harder you think differently, the more rigid the categories become.
-- Fortunately, the networks that govern both perception and imagination can be reprogrammed. By deploying your attention differently, the frontal cortex, which contains rules for decision making, can reconfigure neural networks so that you can see things that you didn't see before. You need a novel stimulus -- either a new piece of information or an unfamiliar environment -- to jolt attentional systems awake. The more radical the change, the greater the likelihood of fresh insights.
-- Only when you consciously confront your brain's shortcuts will you be able to imagine outside of its boundaries.
So I believe in the theory. I know I want to be creative. I know I need to to thrive in a changing world. Part of my routine is to challenge myself intellectually. I partly do that by reading but often by doing something completely different. I am thinking how to incorporate this into habit.
Iconoclast in the case of the book means to One who attacks cherished beliefs. I think most entrepreneurs are good at this. They challenge the known and think creatively.
The following is a summary of Iconoclast from Fast Company:
-- The brain is fundamentally a lazy piece of meat. It doesn't want to waste energy.
-- In order to think creatively, you must develop new neural pathways and break out of the cycle of experience - dependant categorization. As Mark Twain said, "Education consists mainly in what we have unlearned." For most people, this does not come naturally. Often, the harder you think differently, the more rigid the categories become.
-- Fortunately, the networks that govern both perception and imagination can be reprogrammed. By deploying your attention differently, the frontal cortex, which contains rules for decision making, can reconfigure neural networks so that you can see things that you didn't see before. You need a novel stimulus -- either a new piece of information or an unfamiliar environment -- to jolt attentional systems awake. The more radical the change, the greater the likelihood of fresh insights.
-- Only when you consciously confront your brain's shortcuts will you be able to imagine outside of its boundaries.
So I believe in the theory. I know I want to be creative. I know I need to to thrive in a changing world. Part of my routine is to challenge myself intellectually. I partly do that by reading but often by doing something completely different. I am thinking how to incorporate this into habit.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Personal Development for Smart People
I read a new book - Personal Development for Smart People by one of my favourite self help gurus - Steve Pavlina. I even used a list of values that he developed (and I added to) in my Time Management Book.
Part 1 deals with 7 fundamental principles - Truth, Love, Power, Oneness, Authority, Courage and Intelligence.
I had a negative reaction to a paragraph he wrote in the section on Truth about habits. The gist of his message was - to become more intelligent, do things differently. "Excessive routine is the enemy of intelligence". Of course I am a big believer in having success habits. Later in the book he devotes a full chapter to success habits though so he does understand the power of habits.
I liked and agree with what he said about media conditioning. We can become over influenced by traditional media. And much of media has a conflict. They want to "sell" you that something is not good for you - EG alcohol will make you feel popular or sexy. He even suggests a media fast for 30 days.
I liked what he said about momentum. The key is to get started and get moving. I will write an article on this in the coming days. I am adding articles to my resources section with fair frequency now. I just added one on Be a Life Long Learner (I am sure Pavlina would agree with that one) and another on Leadership vs. Management.
Part 2 talks about practical application - Habits, Career, Money, Health, Relationships and Spirituality.
I found a lot of practical tips in the first section (like start with the worst thing first thing and master the first hour of the day) so really looked forward to more practical application.
From the Habits chapter:
"Habits are your Mind's approach to time management. It would be extremely inefficient for you to decide how to spend every minute of every day. Your conscious mind has better things to do than solve the same problems over and over, so it delegates known problems to your subconscious"
The book is well written and easy to read. And it is inspirational.
The book is full of ideas. It is one of those books that you can take only 2 or 3 ideas and incorporate them into your life to make a big change. Definitely worth reading if you are interested in self development.
Part 1 deals with 7 fundamental principles - Truth, Love, Power, Oneness, Authority, Courage and Intelligence.
I had a negative reaction to a paragraph he wrote in the section on Truth about habits. The gist of his message was - to become more intelligent, do things differently. "Excessive routine is the enemy of intelligence". Of course I am a big believer in having success habits. Later in the book he devotes a full chapter to success habits though so he does understand the power of habits.
I liked and agree with what he said about media conditioning. We can become over influenced by traditional media. And much of media has a conflict. They want to "sell" you that something is not good for you - EG alcohol will make you feel popular or sexy. He even suggests a media fast for 30 days.
I liked what he said about momentum. The key is to get started and get moving. I will write an article on this in the coming days. I am adding articles to my resources section with fair frequency now. I just added one on Be a Life Long Learner (I am sure Pavlina would agree with that one) and another on Leadership vs. Management.
Part 2 talks about practical application - Habits, Career, Money, Health, Relationships and Spirituality.
I found a lot of practical tips in the first section (like start with the worst thing first thing and master the first hour of the day) so really looked forward to more practical application.
From the Habits chapter:
"Habits are your Mind's approach to time management. It would be extremely inefficient for you to decide how to spend every minute of every day. Your conscious mind has better things to do than solve the same problems over and over, so it delegates known problems to your subconscious"
The book is well written and easy to read. And it is inspirational.
The book is full of ideas. It is one of those books that you can take only 2 or 3 ideas and incorporate them into your life to make a big change. Definitely worth reading if you are interested in self development.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
The Pebble and Banker to the Poor
Today was perfect for a 16 K run. A bit drizzly at 8 AM but perfect temperature (about 15 degrees C). Of course it helped to be prodded to do it by a friend who ran with me. I normally run a maximum distance of 10K unless I am training for something.
As I started to run, I felt a stone in my shoe. It felt huge. I knew if I kept running, I would have a blister. So, I stopped and removed the "huge" stone but it turned out to be a tiny pebble.
I think about time management and our lives. Often the smallest of pebbles can put us off track. Often the pebbles feel like large stones. It helps to have tools and strategies to deal with these pebbles. That's partly what inspired me to write my Time Management book.
Stuff happens. Usually it is not as big as it feels at the time. Build your tools now to deal with "the stuff".
On a recent flight, I read an outstanding book called Banker to the Poor Microlending and the Battle Against World Poverty by Muhammad Yunus. Muhammad taught economics at the University of Bangladesh and saw the poverty around him and felt that that his theoretical work at the university was not solving the problem. What he saw was the small amounts of money loaned to people to allow them to start their business or raw materials could have a huge impact.
He started Grameen Bank and started making micro-credit loans to people in groups using the social pressure to make sure everyone repays their loans. His first loans he saw that 42 people needed $27.00 to buy raw materials and this was his first loan. He had tremendous success repaying the loans and has since grown to almost 2,000 branches and a staff of 11,000 which has loaned $3.9 billion with a recovery rate of 98%.
Impressive results with limited resources.
This is a true book of hope and definitely worth reading.
As I started to run, I felt a stone in my shoe. It felt huge. I knew if I kept running, I would have a blister. So, I stopped and removed the "huge" stone but it turned out to be a tiny pebble.
I think about time management and our lives. Often the smallest of pebbles can put us off track. Often the pebbles feel like large stones. It helps to have tools and strategies to deal with these pebbles. That's partly what inspired me to write my Time Management book.
Stuff happens. Usually it is not as big as it feels at the time. Build your tools now to deal with "the stuff".
On a recent flight, I read an outstanding book called Banker to the Poor Microlending and the Battle Against World Poverty by Muhammad Yunus. Muhammad taught economics at the University of Bangladesh and saw the poverty around him and felt that that his theoretical work at the university was not solving the problem. What he saw was the small amounts of money loaned to people to allow them to start their business or raw materials could have a huge impact.
He started Grameen Bank and started making micro-credit loans to people in groups using the social pressure to make sure everyone repays their loans. His first loans he saw that 42 people needed $27.00 to buy raw materials and this was his first loan. He had tremendous success repaying the loans and has since grown to almost 2,000 branches and a staff of 11,000 which has loaned $3.9 billion with a recovery rate of 98%.
Impressive results with limited resources.
This is a true book of hope and definitely worth reading.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Get Smarter Book Review
SYNNEX released great results. I was at a RIM board meeting today. RIM also released results.
I am stressed from being out of my office. Perhaps I should read my article on 8 Ways to Handle Stress.
I am way behind in posting my business book reviews so need to post more often for a while.
I read an awesome book by Seymour Schulich called, "Life and Business Lessons Get Smarter". Seymour Schulich is an accomplished entrepreneur billionaire which is why people might listen to him.
The book consists of 48 very short chapters. (Don't be daunted -- this is a very simple and fast read.) It is written largely as an older man's mentoring for someone who is new and going into business. As I read the various rules, I couldn't help but smile and nod in agreement with almost everything he had to say in almost every area.
The book is not only business lessons but covers lessons on finance and life. He even gets into relationships.
I found the book to be a page turner (which might seem ironic for a business book, but perhaps I am different). It contained many gems and philosophies.
It is definitely worth the read!
I am stressed from being out of my office. Perhaps I should read my article on 8 Ways to Handle Stress.
I am way behind in posting my business book reviews so need to post more often for a while.
I read an awesome book by Seymour Schulich called, "Life and Business Lessons Get Smarter". Seymour Schulich is an accomplished entrepreneur billionaire which is why people might listen to him.
The book consists of 48 very short chapters. (Don't be daunted -- this is a very simple and fast read.) It is written largely as an older man's mentoring for someone who is new and going into business. As I read the various rules, I couldn't help but smile and nod in agreement with almost everything he had to say in almost every area.
The book is not only business lessons but covers lessons on finance and life. He even gets into relationships.
I found the book to be a page turner (which might seem ironic for a business book, but perhaps I am different). It contained many gems and philosophies.
It is definitely worth the read!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
What you measure, you improve
I am back on the road (Calgary this time). I did not work out today. Perhaps I should read my own Work Out Inspration Article .
If you can't measure it, you can't manage it is the tag line of TimeTECH a time and attendance management company.
Some variation on this expression has been used in business for years. I like the variation - If you can't measure it, you can't improve it since I am a continuous improvment person.
This started me thinking. Is it possible to change everything into a measurable. For example, can calmness or niceness be measured?
One concern I have with measurement is do we track only the measurable and ignore the things that are tough to measure?
And if we are not careful, we forget to add the quality measurement. For example I could tick off that I worked out today (and I did not yet) but perhaps I did not push as hard as yesterday or last week so it is a good idea to try to add that measure also.
So my goal today is to look at my measurements to see how I can add the quality to it.
And a quote to make you think:
Success is dangerous. One begins to copy oneself, and to copy oneself is more dangerous than to copy others. It leads to sterility.
Pablo Picasso
If you can't measure it, you can't manage it is the tag line of TimeTECH a time and attendance management company.
Some variation on this expression has been used in business for years. I like the variation - If you can't measure it, you can't improve it since I am a continuous improvment person.
This started me thinking. Is it possible to change everything into a measurable. For example, can calmness or niceness be measured?
One concern I have with measurement is do we track only the measurable and ignore the things that are tough to measure?
And if we are not careful, we forget to add the quality measurement. For example I could tick off that I worked out today (and I did not yet) but perhaps I did not push as hard as yesterday or last week so it is a good idea to try to add that measure also.
So my goal today is to look at my measurements to see how I can add the quality to it.
And a quote to make you think:
Success is dangerous. One begins to copy oneself, and to copy oneself is more dangerous than to copy others. It leads to sterility.
Pablo Picasso
Monday, September 22, 2008
Unleashing the Power of Rubber Bands
I recently read, "Unleashing the Power of Rubber Bands: Lessons in Non-linear Leadership" by Nancy Ortberg.
The thesis of the book is that leading tends not to be linear; it tends to be exponential. The more you pull the rubber band the greater resistance. (I found the analogy particularly interesting since I have recently added using Therabands to my workout schedule. They are very lightweight, portable and can be used almost anywhere. I probably wouldn't need weights in my office if I had learned to use bands when I first starting working out.)
One of the quotes from the book that I liked was, "Great leaders know the value of doing the right things and that includes valuing the contribution of all of the players". I think one area where I have not done as well is telling people I appreciate their contribution. Fortunately I am a life-long learner so I can always change. For me it might even tie in with my own celebration. I tend not to celebrate my own wins as much as I could.
Another quote was, "Much of the frustration that leaders face comes from trying to solve what needs to be managed and trying to manage what needs to be solved. Being able to distinguish which areas need clarity and which areas will be ongoing tensions is a necessary skill." That paragraph was a real truism for me. So many of the things that we are involved in are not solved, they are simply somewhere along a continuum.
I found the book to be interesting, challenging, and thought provoking and would recommend it as a good read.
Only caveat, because Nancy has worked extensively with the church many of her examples have religious overtones that might put some people off.
The thesis of the book is that leading tends not to be linear; it tends to be exponential. The more you pull the rubber band the greater resistance. (I found the analogy particularly interesting since I have recently added using Therabands to my workout schedule. They are very lightweight, portable and can be used almost anywhere. I probably wouldn't need weights in my office if I had learned to use bands when I first starting working out.)
One of the quotes from the book that I liked was, "Great leaders know the value of doing the right things and that includes valuing the contribution of all of the players". I think one area where I have not done as well is telling people I appreciate their contribution. Fortunately I am a life-long learner so I can always change. For me it might even tie in with my own celebration. I tend not to celebrate my own wins as much as I could.
Another quote was, "Much of the frustration that leaders face comes from trying to solve what needs to be managed and trying to manage what needs to be solved. Being able to distinguish which areas need clarity and which areas will be ongoing tensions is a necessary skill." That paragraph was a real truism for me. So many of the things that we are involved in are not solved, they are simply somewhere along a continuum.
I found the book to be interesting, challenging, and thought provoking and would recommend it as a good read.
Only caveat, because Nancy has worked extensively with the church many of her examples have religious overtones that might put some people off.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
How I Handle Too Many Things to do
Sometimes I can get almost an overwhelming number of things that I need to do. I have developed strategies to help me deal with this.
1 - I recognize when I am likely to be swamped and try to plan a bit of extra time and flexibility in my schedule. For example, I am just back from being out of the office and know I am going into management meetings. This is a time I will have too many things on. So I have tried to leave a bit of space.
2 - I reset peoples' expectation on when I can have things done. I pride myself on being fast and crisp. But in times like this, I tell people "I will review it next Wednesday and get back to you then". By setting proper expectation, the pressure is reduced.
3 - The basis of any time management system is the "To Do" list. It is even more important when juggling many balls to have a good to do list.
4 - And once I have the To Do list, I prioritize. It is more important to work on the important than to get many of the less important things done.
5 - if my list is too long, I create a "To Do Right Now" list which a more manageable number of tasks on it. For me, that usually means just 3 or 4 things to do.
6 - Sometimes the overwhelm seems too great. At these times, I just do it. Dig in and start and momentum will carry me through a huge list.
7 - I create games with myself. On my To Do list, I put the time each task will take. This means I can play a game to see if I can beat the projected times. Set a list of things to complete by X times. After all - games are fun so why not make it a game.
8 - I like to have a clean work space. One trick for me is to put any mess behind me (on my credenza - or a drawer works well) so I will not see it. A messy desk is a whole bunch of things saying "do me, do me". This can just add to the stress and often result in busy work rather than productive work being done.
Now back to work to get my list done.
1 - I recognize when I am likely to be swamped and try to plan a bit of extra time and flexibility in my schedule. For example, I am just back from being out of the office and know I am going into management meetings. This is a time I will have too many things on. So I have tried to leave a bit of space.
2 - I reset peoples' expectation on when I can have things done. I pride myself on being fast and crisp. But in times like this, I tell people "I will review it next Wednesday and get back to you then". By setting proper expectation, the pressure is reduced.
3 - The basis of any time management system is the "To Do" list. It is even more important when juggling many balls to have a good to do list.
4 - And once I have the To Do list, I prioritize. It is more important to work on the important than to get many of the less important things done.
5 - if my list is too long, I create a "To Do Right Now" list which a more manageable number of tasks on it. For me, that usually means just 3 or 4 things to do.
6 - Sometimes the overwhelm seems too great. At these times, I just do it. Dig in and start and momentum will carry me through a huge list.
7 - I create games with myself. On my To Do list, I put the time each task will take. This means I can play a game to see if I can beat the projected times. Set a list of things to complete by X times. After all - games are fun so why not make it a game.
8 - I like to have a clean work space. One trick for me is to put any mess behind me (on my credenza - or a drawer works well) so I will not see it. A messy desk is a whole bunch of things saying "do me, do me". This can just add to the stress and often result in busy work rather than productive work being done.
Now back to work to get my list done.
Monday, September 15, 2008
How to Stay Motivated and Travel Productivity
I am tired today. In California for the second time in two weeks. I am actually thinking the cost of travel is a lot more than the travel cost (which is not getting cheaper). There is a real productivity loss.
Note to self - figure out how to travel less (and still be highly effective at getting things done). And of course if I travel make sure to use my own travel productivity tips.
One challenge we have in getting things done is staying motivated. Tammy Embrich wrote an article on Staying motivated. Some of her tips:
Change Your Atmosphere:
Now this one may sound silly to some...but this has worked for me. If you have a particular room for an office, move the furniture around if feasible...If it is a very small room, then you won't have many options as to moving things around. But you can change colors or themes for your office. What colors or themes make you feel most creative? What colors or themes make you feel happy? What colors or themes make you feel most productive? It's something to think about. Purchase a new day/month/year planner. Perhaps a new calendar or a new writing notebook.
Exercise...Take A Break:
Exercise is great for both the mind and body! It's also a great way to clear the mind when you feel overworked or stressed out. When you find yourself not in motivation mode and are lacking in that much needed gusto...take a brisk walk to clear the mind. You may be surprised at what happens. Most of the time when I take a break from my time online, whether it be a walk, lunch break, or just watching some TV...I come back refreshed, and even sometimes, with some new ideas.
Music:If you're a music lover, have some soft music playing while you are working. This isn't for everyone though. Some people prefer not to have music playing and want it quiet. It's all in what you like or prefer. And for some people, music can give that much needed extra push in getting started with the work day. Try it sometime. You might be pleasantly surprised.
The idea here is to do everything you can to remain focused, motivated, and even challenged for being the best you can be at moving forward with your business. Do some research and look up more motivation articles and tips. Motivation is the key to success.
Read the whole article here.
Quote for the day:
All men dream but not equally. Those that dream by night in the dusty
recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity; but the
dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they make act their dream with
open eyes, to make it possible.
T.E. Lawrence AKA Lawrence of Arabia
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Outlook Time Saving Tips
I have had many people ask me what tips I learned from the Outlook mini-seminar I took. Some of them follow. Not sure this is the easier to follow but here you go:
Re Outlook Menus: With the standard installation of Outlook it shows just a portion of the menu when you click on it. To change this so you see the full menu, just click on:
- Tools
- Customize
- Options
- Always show full menus
- Close
Let Outlook do the typing for you; for example, I type "107" and the system automatically types out our full office address.
- Tools
- Options
- Spelling
- AutoCorrect Options
- Options
- Replace: (type in the abbreviation of the word you want to be typed out in full; for example, 107)
- With: (type in the full word or words; for example,
- OK, OK
Change the colour of incoming emails; for example, any email that I receive from my assistant appears in green.
- Tools
- Organize
- Using Colors
- Color messages (fill this in and choose the color)
- Turn on
- Close
Are you in a hurry to see a map of an address in your Outlook Contacts?
- Open the specific Contact
- Click on the yellow diamond shaped icon with the black curved arrow in the menu bar and it will automatically show you a map of the location. You can also get driving directions.
To quickly add a name and email address of someone who just emailed you:
- From "Inbox" just drag the person name’s from the "From" column to your "Contacts" folder
- Save and Close
To show statutory holidays in your Outlook Calendar:
- Tools
- Options
- Calendar Options
- Add Holidays
- Click on the country
- Ok, Ok, Ok
In addition to tips on how to use Outlook, we need to use good email etiquette:
· Only use "Reply to All" when everyone in the originating email needs to know the information.
· Know when to pick up the phone and call the person instead of continuing a long trail of emails.
· Only use "Cc" when absolutely necessary. It is frustrating to receive emails that you don't need to read.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
TIme Management Tip - Be Succinct
One of the most obvious time saving tips is to "Be succinct".
People understand easier and things are more clear if they are said in less words. Less is more when it comes to writing or speaking.
As technology has evolved - email and texting, I notice people have gotten better at keeping things short. I find it cute to read writers from a long time ago and note how they tend to say less using more words.
Saying more in less words is a sign of high intelligence. It is respectful of peoples' time. It tends to be more easily understood which is one of the main points of communication.
There are lots of quotations on this topic (and note the years and how language has evolved):
People understand easier and things are more clear if they are said in less words. Less is more when it comes to writing or speaking.
As technology has evolved - email and texting, I notice people have gotten better at keeping things short. I find it cute to read writers from a long time ago and note how they tend to say less using more words.
Saying more in less words is a sign of high intelligence. It is respectful of peoples' time. It tends to be more easily understood which is one of the main points of communication.
There are lots of quotations on this topic (and note the years and how language has evolved):
- Say all you have to say in the fewest possible words, or your reader will be sure to skip them; and in the plainest possible words or he will certainly misunderstand them.
- John Ruskin (1819 - 1900)
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- A multitude of words is no proof of a prudent mind.
- Thales (635 BC - 543 BC)
- Do not say a little in many words but a great deal in a few.
- Pythagoras (582 BC - 507 BC)
Monday, September 8, 2008
The Law of Focus
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A friend emailed me:
"One of my first time saving tips taught to me was to take the task I was working on as far as I could before moving on to something else. The theory here is that most tasks take less than an hour to complete yet we get distracted somehow and don't get it done. The lesson here I think is focus. Focus on the task at hand and move it along to the furthest point you can without allowing distractions to get in the way. Your readers may be interested in this simple tip."
This is an awesome tip that I know as "The Law of Focus" which says:
"You accomplish more faster by focusing completely on one thing at a time"
It flies in the face of "The power of While" which is multitasking. What can you do while you are walking etc.
As I have studied time management, the more I realize that more people suffer from busyness and multitasking than too much focus. Multitasking tends to increase the stress and decrease the productivity. So next time you consider multitasking, consider "The Law of Focus".
Quote for the day:
The ability to focus attention on important things is a defining characteristic of intelligence.
Robert J. Shiller, Irrational Exuberance
A friend emailed me:
"One of my first time saving tips taught to me was to take the task I was working on as far as I could before moving on to something else. The theory here is that most tasks take less than an hour to complete yet we get distracted somehow and don't get it done. The lesson here I think is focus. Focus on the task at hand and move it along to the furthest point you can without allowing distractions to get in the way. Your readers may be interested in this simple tip."
This is an awesome tip that I know as "The Law of Focus" which says:
"You accomplish more faster by focusing completely on one thing at a time"
It flies in the face of "The power of While" which is multitasking. What can you do while you are walking etc.
As I have studied time management, the more I realize that more people suffer from busyness and multitasking than too much focus. Multitasking tends to increase the stress and decrease the productivity. So next time you consider multitasking, consider "The Law of Focus".
Quote for the day:
The ability to focus attention on important things is a defining characteristic of intelligence.
Robert J. Shiller, Irrational Exuberance
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