Cloudy Days

It’s cloudy.

The average number of days with sunshine here is 194. So the clouds are no surprise.

It is nice to enjoy the serotonin release when the sun is out, but here we have to make due without on a regular basis.

When it is clear the day will be dark & gloomy, take a moment to reflect on a happy moment. Your outlook on they day will brighten.

Long Term Goals

“I’m a slow walker, but I never walk backwards” – Abraham Lincoln

Moving forward requires a mind set that remains focused on a far off goal.

You may have to climb over a few barriers. Perhaps a mountain is in the way.

Step by step, maintaining momentum.

It may take years.

Then all of a sudden… the desired goal will be right in front of you.

Don’t stop now.

Empowering Others

Being empowered is one of the most satisfying feelings.

Spending each day, month, year feeling that you are stuck and unable to move the boulders in the way can be disheartening.

So, do what you can to empower someone.

Be available as a sounding board and mentor, but not as a blocker.

Most people want to make things happen. Do your best to not stand in the way.

As long as you can do the following…

  • Articulate value of moving your idea forward
  • Have an execution plan
  • Have a communication plan
  • Have a maintenance Plan

Go!

Vacation to Work Whiplash

This year, my family has opted for taking multiple short trips and long weekends in lieu of a multi-week vacation. It has been great. We’ve been camping at 5 different locations. My kids have met friends. We’ve had lots of water time. I’m super tan!

What I have to be careful of is the associated whiplash that happens when I have to quickly jump back and forth from vacation-mode to work-mode.

Be careful not to get too buried in missed email. Attempt to ease into the day. Make a list of priorities. Hold on for the ride through the first day.

Credibility

In High School and College, I remember being lectured time and time again about the importance of referencing ‘credible’ sources in our work.

Credibility is an odd thing. What actually makes something credible?

Well, according to wikipedia…

“Credibility comprises the objective and subjective components of the believability of a source or message.”

See what I did there, right?

I’m not so much tied up on Wikipedia, I’m thinking more about the sources where we get our news and information.

I’d like to think that a credible source is considered as such because the information is non-biased and based on independent research and validated facts.

In reality, there is high potential for influence due to sponsorship and philosophical agendas.

I feel for the social media companies right now as they are the targets of pressure to better scrutinize and restrict false information.

All it takes is a small amount of funding to establish a digital media outlet, create advertising and hire writers and on-screen personalities. The production seems ‘professional’. Does this mean that this media outlet is now credible?

I think not.

We have to remember that sensationalism sells. And the likes of CNN, Axios, New Republic, etc., have bastardized the concept of news. Cherry picking information and mixing in opinion.

So, who can you trust?

Yourself.

Don’t take anything at face value. Check the content to see if actual research is being referenced. Does the data seem to be manipulated or partial?

There are fact checking organizations out there. snopes.com is great!

Be skeptical. Restrain yourself from knee jerk reactions. Remember that most of the news out there is trying to play your emotions to drawl you in (and see their ads).

Think critically and keep searching for true ‘credibility’.

Choices

Choices can be hard.

When soaking on the options, you expect the obvious choice to become clear, but sometimes it doesn’t.

After using evaluation systems, pugh matrices, pro/con lists, seeking advice from trusted friends, the ‘right’ choice may still remain illusive.

When you reach the point where the options are too close to call. Think of it as a ‘win/win’ sutuation.

Let the hand be dealt and take comfort in the notion that whichever choice you make (or whichever lands first) it will be all good.

Compensation via ‘creator coins’

I’ve been soaking on the ideas around ‘creator compensation’. It is an interesting time as the major platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, Twitter, etc. are all evaluating how to better compensate the creators (while still maintaining plenty of profit for themselves).

One interesting development is the consolidation of the concept of crypto and the compensation of individual creators.

From a media company perspective, they don’t want creators to be using multiple platforms as the valuable content will be dispersed to multiple platforms. That makes sense from the company’s perspective, but not from the perspective of the creator.

A creator needs the freedom and flexibility to use whatever platform feels right for the various type of content they want to create. It may not make sense to use Facebook to distribute all the creator’s video, podcasts, newsletters or whatever else. It makes more sense to a creator to use a variety of platforms to deliver the appropriate medium.

The concept of ‘Creator Coin’ provides a direct line of compensation to the creator regardless of platform.

Several companies (such as Rally) are popping up to introduce creator coins where creator can have their own currency which enables compensation that can be used across platforms. This represents much more of a ‘creator first’ mentality.

I think it’s a great idea. There is a lot of potential for the creator to adopt this in their content to avoid reliance (and control) from the major platforms.

I plan to continue watching this space as it will be interesting to see the evolution and consider how it should / should-not be adopted by brands that act as content creators in their own right.

Becoming a Great Leader

“If you build an army of 100 lions and their leader is a dog, in any fight, the lions will die like a dog. But if you build an army of 100 dogs and their leader is a lion, all dogs will fight like a lion.” – Napoleon Bonaparte

Working with a great leader is a inspiring experience. Some leaders have a knack for laying out a vision. Their passion and dedication can be seen from a mile away. Tack on the ability to foster broad support and effectively execute… buckle your seatbelts!

With the perspective of 20 year of working with a wide variety of leaders, I now recognize that working with a good leader is something that can be taken for granted.

Personally, I consider myself lucky as I’ve truly never had a ‘bad’ boss. However, there is a big difference between a ‘good’ boss and a ‘great’ boss.

With all this in mind, how do you turn this around onto yourself? First, remember that everyone has the opportunity to act as a leader. The concepts of leadership are not only traits for people with direct reports. These traits are also important for individual contributors.

So ask yourself… Am I a great leader?

*Hint* – The answer should be ‘No’.

Everyone has opportunity to grow. Even the ‘great’ leaders I’ve worked with in the past still had soft spots. But what are your most vulnerable areas?

If you are not sure, ask coworkers and peers for their perspective. Take time to reflect on areas for improvement. Build a plan to work on the areas where you need to strengthen your skills.

No question, some people have natural leadership strengths. But to think you are perfect is probably a weakness. Don’t expect to be perfect right off the bat. Plan on incrementally improving.

Build a plan and keep striving to be an awesome leader. As you strengthen your skills, others will notice and pay attention. Here’s to becoming a Lion!

Grudges

Holding onto grudges is one of the least efficient uses of energy.

The idea of being continually bothered by something that has happened in the past is natural. It is also pretty silly.

We only have so many mental cycles every day. To use mental energy on rehashing situations where someone or something ‘did you wrong’ means you are not using your energy to focus on the present or the future.

This may come off as being oblivious or dense to a situation, but I’m okay with that position. My preference is to be intentional about moving forward and letting things roll off your back.

If something doesn’t go your way, learn from that situation, but don’t hold onto it.

Each day is new. Use a different tactic. Make it clear to those around you that you are focused and on a more important course.

Petty responses based on grudges are short sighted. Keep your long-term goals in mind and don’t let little things bother you.

Worst case scenario, they say ‘NO’

Asking for things can be intimidating.

Proposing an idea for a special project… Requesting unexpected funding…. Asking for a raise….

Each of these scenarios can be gut wrenching and many people can’t gather the courage to ask. The idea will float on only as an idea.

When you are in this situation, remind yourself…

‘The worst that can happen is they will say NO’.

If they say No, it’s okay. You will survive. Your ego may hurt a little, but you will bounce back.

To help avoid the ‘NO’, be prepared.

It may not be the best idea to take a half-baked idea to a leader and expect a green-light. Do your homework. Outline a plan. Provide estimates of value. Document your rational.

New ideas require justification.

Demonstrate that you’ve thought your idea through.

Taking initiative will be seen as a positive attribute. It shows you are willing to take a risk. It shows that you want to be engaged and take responsibility.

You may not receive a Yes right away. You may be given coaching and direction to better refine the idea. That is fine!

Remain focused on the idea and continue building the case. Eventually, a good idea will be green lit and you can see your idea blossom into reality.