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When Was the Last Time You Got On The Dance Floor?

Do you remember  your first junior high dance? For some it was great fun. For others, it was a moment to cling tight to the wall. And for some, it was a time to make up an excuse to get out of there as quickly as possible and say… “My parents are picking me up early”; even though they were not. Comfort, curiosity, discomfort all rolled into one frenzy of adolescents. As managers, it’s a good idea to ask ourselves…When was the last time I got on the dance floor? What drew me on to the floor? What kept me away?

Managers are often told to practice Management By Walking Around (MBWA) . Described as ” the habit of stopping by to talk with people face to face, get a sense of how they think things are going, and listen to whatever may be on their minds.”  If you follow this approach are you truly on the dance floor? Or are you just going through the motions?  [Read more…]

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The Strength of Responsibility: Sometimes Needs a Volume Adjustment

Big Basin State Park is home to the largest continuous stand of ancient coast redwoods south of San Francisco in the Santa Cruz Mountains. There are many trees over 1,000 years old. Next to the visitor center you notice the “Tree of Responsibility”; a reminder of the many people who have worked tirelessly to protect redwoods since 1901. The responsibility tree and it’s noble champions reminds me of people with the Gallup Strength of Responsibility. People with responsibility are filled with dedication and commitment. And, at times, it is a strength that needs a volume adjustment.

We all know the people with responsibility strength. They are hard wired with the values of loyalty and honor.When people with the responsibility strength say, “yes, I’ll get that done”, you can count on them. Their dedication to people, process, deadlines, and projects brings them great success in organizations. They are energized by the completion of tasks and stay true to their word of “you can count on me”. However, this is one of those strengths that the “volume” sometimes needs to be monitored by: individuals with the strength, fellow team members and managers.

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“If It Scares You…”

The 15th Annual International Ocean Film Festival was held in San Francisco last week. One of the premier films was Kim Swims. The film profiles Kim Chamber’s swim from the Farallon Islands to the Golden Gate Bridge, a 30 mile solo swim. Cold water, white sharks, big waves and crazy currents. Her story is fascinating. At one point, Kim almost lost her ability to walk. Yet, how does that lead to wanting to swim in such dangerous waters? She writes..“If it scares you, that is exactly why you should do it”. 

She adds: “I’m talking about stepping out of your comfort zone and doing something, experiencing something, feeling something that you never thought possible. It’s about challenging yourself not just physically but emotionally and spiritually. Something that reaches to the core of your soul, of who you are. When you’re willing to push the boundaries of what’s possible, you’ll find your best self right on the other side…Of course it is scary, but for me that is precisely the draw, because if it does not challenge you, it does not change you.”

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Perfectionist? Try a Reframe on Your Milestones

I often hear from people….”I’m a perfectionist…and I view it as a  strength and weakness”. So many people in leadership roles self identify as having strong leanings towards perfectionism. Yet, what does that really mean?  What are the milestones of perfectionism?  Is it..Every item on the check list is completed every day? All plans are polished and delivered on time? Meetings are run efficiently?…  It is hard to measure success when perfectionism is a driver. There is always another level of improvement knocking at your door. This week, I challenge you to reframe your perfectionist milestones. [Read more…]

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Mindset: Do You Have an Outcome or Problem Focused Mindset?

A good coaching session begins by exploring what is going well. Leveraging our successes and strengths accelerates outcomes. This approach calls on personal resourcefulness and resiliency. As David Emerald of the TED Dynamic writes: “Focus on problems and you’ll see more problems. Focus on outcomes and you’ll see more possibilities”. Do you tend to have an outcome or problem focused mindset?

In a recent blog by Emerald, he writes “problems stick together like Velcro”. He created a diagram that visualizes the mindsets of both problem and outcome focus. It is simple, elegant and powerful. On the problem side of the diagram are words such as: anxiety, blame, worry and fear. On the outcome side of the diagram are words such as: opportunities, possibilities, innovation, ideas, and enthusiasm.  This simple diagram helps us to notice our mindset around problems and outcomes.  [Read more…]

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“Become One Degree of Change “

A leading college success nonprofit in California, 10,000 Degrees® helps students from low-income backgrounds get to and through college. One of their mottos is “We Help Make College Dreams Come True”. Volunteer mentors, corporate partners, high schools and 10,000 Degree alumni become one degree of change by supporting each student enrolled in 10,000 degrees.

One-hundred percent of the students in the program are low income backgrounds. 85% are first in family to attend college. 83% are students who are people of color. And, thanks to comprehensive personal support, college advising, and financial aid management, over 80% of 10,000 Degrees four-year college students earn bachelor’s degrees, compared to 31% nationally. The staff know that starting a college mindset begins early so they begin work in elementary and middle schools to nurture love of learning and help young students envision a path to college.

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Are you Willing to Create “Islands of Sanity”?

Margaret Wheatley  published an article titled “Who Do You Choose to Be? An Invitation to the Nobility of Leadership”.  She asked the question “Are you willing to use whatever power and influence you have to create islands of sanity?” It is a powerful question and one worth exploring as a leader but also as a community member.

Wheatley calls on us to rely on our “best human qualities to create, relate and perservere”. She invites us to create islands of sanity amidst an ocean of challenges. She admits that the challenges of climate change, hunger, political upheaval and violence are overwhelming. The US Military uses the acronym VUCA to name theses types of challenges facing the world: Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous.Yet,  Wheatley invites us to “be warriors for the human spirit, leaders willing to defend and support people. Leaders who remember and value what humans are capable of creating together.”

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A Sense of Wonder for Two

As a naturalist, you are trained to watch for “teachable moments“. You train your eye to look for the unexpected and then help others to see their landscape with fresh eyes. I was recently on a hike with my husband and was wildly enthusiastic about the view, the birds, the color of the sky, the crashing of the waves, and the sprouting green hills after a recent rain. I turned to my husband with a big smile and said “Isn’t it just amazing that we live in such a beautiful place!” He looked back at me with a twinkle in his eye and said, “Yes, and you have a sense of wonder for two”.

Socrates said “wonder is the beginning of wisdom”. Rachel Carson wrote  A Sense of Wonder and gave us a simple guide to the power of discovery. As a child and then as a naturalist, I trained my eye to look with wonder. I now see that a sense of wonder is a key skill for teachers, parents, managers, coaches and trainers.

Wonder begins with walking around and looking for the unexpected. In the management world we call it MBWA (Management By Walking Around). The basic idea is to get up from your desk, walk around, check in on your team, engage in conversations and listen deeply. This can be an ideal opportunity to look at your office with fresh eyes, seek teachable moments, and increase your sense of wonder.

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Solvitur Ambulando!

We walk, we amble, we wander, and we think. One wonderful way to capture this concept is through the phrase “Solvitur Ambulando,” Latin for “it is solved by walking”.

John Muir and Henry David Thoreau have long been known as the writers who advocated for walking. Muir wrote: “In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.”  Thoreau wrote, “I think that I cannot preserve my health and spirits, unless I spend four hours a day at least—and it is commonly more than that—sauntering through the woods and over the hills and fields, absolutely free from all worldly engagements.”

Now Stanford University and others have conducted studies on the values of walking.  Stanford researchers explored creativity and walking. They write “we’re not saying walking can turn you into Michelangelo, but it could help you at the beginning stages of creativity.”

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“Find The Path to Awaken the World”

Governor Jerry Brown of California spoke at the Vatican on November 4 at a symposium on the environment. He stated that “faith must join technical, scientific and political approaches to limit environmental devastation.” He expanded his thinking by saying “going forward, we’re going to have to find the pathway to awaken the world, to get done what needs to be done,” he said. “We’re not going to get there with just science and technology. There’s no technical fix adequate to the challenge we face.”

“No technical fix adequate to fix the challenge we face”; now there is a invitation to think differently. Certainly, there are areas where technical fixes will solve challenges. Yet for climate change, Brown challenges us to take a different path than “technical fixes”. He invites us to look at it through the adaptive challenge lens. He encourages us to take a path where we tap into the best thinking from the worlds of faith, politics, science, and technology.

His persuasive and well informed speech, is also an invitation to think differently about other community, organizational and regional challenges.

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