A Day in My Life

My life is a constant mental roller coaster of ideas, plans, projects, consulting, writing, designing.  

I don't often get a day to myself, to just create- home alone with the solitude that creates, that is just what will allow a wealth of ideas to come to fruition.  Some ideas that require fleshing out; others needing to be explored, while some projects in need of completion.  

So follow me, while I take you through, what often becomes of my day to create. 

Seize the Day - or at least the Opportunity!

Someone I knew, a few years back, who was also a member of a Mastermind group I attended, never thought about remuneration, pension, etc., when deciding what opportunities to take on. For her, an opportunity wasn't a career path or something that moved her farther along the pay scale, but rather it was something that provided her with an experience and/or challenge she had not had before. Because of that mindset, her life was always fabulous!

She moved away (on to more opportunities) and we no longer had regular contact, but, she had been a flight attendant, worked in administration, marketing for a science centre, travelled with a film crew and acted as a producer of an IMAX film. She never measured her success by the amount of money she made, although, I think she did quite well in that regard too, but, her satisfaction came from the challenge, the education and the experience.

When you open yourself up to opportunity, you will find it. And, when you find it, seize it and throw yourself into it! Sometimes, you'll find yourself with a selection of opportunities. That's a great problem to have and I hope you have many of them!

At times we try to orchestrate our opportunities; attend the right functions and meet the people who can provide us with the best contacts. We attempt to ensure that we will be where the next opportunity is available. The funny thing about opportunities, they don't require you to knock yourself out trying to be where the next one will pop up! If you're giving your present opportunity your full energy and experience, someone will be watching, taking note and when they see something, they think you might be right for - recommend you! How great is that?

Recently, I remembered my friend who took on all kinds of opportunities and when one odd one came along my way, I seized it. What an incredible time I've had and the best thing is, more opportunities will be along and I don't have to find them, they will find me. And, they will find you too.

The other thing, I might mention is that opportunities are going to challenge you - to grow, to expand your mind, to see something from someone else's perspective or to give more than you get. Whatever it is, embrace it and let your ethos define your approach.

How about you? Are you ready to seize the opportunity?

Do What Matters - In Your Own Way!

When times get tough,...you know the rest!  You really do become active under given circumstances and sometimes, those circumstances can be stressful and unwelcome!

What is the difference between you and the person next to you? Why do you see things the way you do or perform in a certain way? For most people, it comes down to passion. Using your passion to propel you forward can have favourable and sometimes, not so favourable results. And yes, I have experienced both the highs and lows of some of those actions.

What if You Couldn't Read?

I read - a lot!  I couldn't imagine picking up a newspaper or magazine (printed in English-of course) and not being able to read it.  But, that is the reality for a lot of people. 

They are functionally literate; able to do their job, have rudimentary reading skills and can get by day to day.  Get by - what does that say about their lives?  Every day, they live with the knowledge that they may be found out.   My Great Grandfather was just such a man.

Lives at Risk, Lives Lost

Rehtaeh Parsons

When I was a child, if things got to much to deal with out in the world of school etc., I knew I could get a break from it at home.  Home was a place of refuge - a place that gave you a break from the strain and stress of living among your peers.  It wasn't a place where your enemies could invade.  Those days are gone now for most kids.  In some cases, the digital world has enhanced their lives.  In others, it has not!  This is about the enemy that can storm the gates without you knowing. 

Veteran Suicides

We ask them to do unthinkable things in defense of others who in large part don't want their help. We train them to fight, to kill, to defend, but, not, how to cope.  A veteran suffering from PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) is more likely to be discharged than treated.  
What are we, as a country, thinking; to put so much on their shoulders and then abandon them as so much spent chattel? 
We've had 4 suicides of veterans here in Canada in the past week and by all accounts there are 18 a day in the US.  So, our American neighbours are no better at managing the repatriation of our damaged members than we are - not surprising.  
There's no glory in treating the after affects of our carnage.  The highway of heroes presents with people of all stripes when a soldier is killed in battle and is repatriated. But, not so much our damaged brothers, sisters, children or parents when they somehow manage to make through atrocities we can only imagine.  What do we do for those who have been beaten, broken and forever damaged, either in body or mind from being witness to unspeakable horrors?
We should be demanding our troops get all the support they need upon return.  
Not only that, they should be receiving the same kind of pension packages that elected politicians award themselves. We owe them more than other civil servants - they risk more, they suffer more and they do it to ensure our way of life is not compromised.  And, they do not choose to go where they go, it's just follow orders.  
Let's get real - our veterans need at least as much consideration as their political bosses.   
And then, once we have taken care of all those who saw more than they should ever have to in this lifetime and suffered unspeakable mental anguish; let's go back to being the peacekeepers.  It's more difficult, it's more lasting and it's not going to put our troops in mental peril as they are now!  

Meet Less -Do More!

A few years ago, I remember reading a report from a friend of mine who had been tasked with attending and reporting back on the results of a provincial meeting.  At the conclusion of her report, she finished by summing up with; "We've had enough meetings, let's get to work on it!" 

I'm sure there are many, in corporations large and small, for profit and not for profit, who feel the same way.  When you can spend up to a quarter of your time either in meetings or preparing for meetings, it can become a colossal time-waster! 

So, what to do?  

Let it Go to Move On!

Sometime, even those who are savvy in the ways of business will make a blunder.  Someone I talked with, who had considerable business acumen, was offered (back in the late 60’s, early 70’s) an opportunity to buy into McDonalds Restaurants.  He didn't; believing it to be a fad and not a long term investment.  Today, he regrets that decision, but, doesn't let it weigh on him.  That is what separates a real business mind from others.  He let it go and moved on.  Sure, he will tell the story to some people, but, only if it serves a purpose.  You don’t have a crystal ball –go with what your inner self is telling you.  Everyone makes mistakes; don’t let them define how you do business.  Worse yet, don’t let them define you!  Letting go, allows you to move on. 

Recently, I had an experience, if I let define me, would have certainly crushed future projects.  I wouldn't have been out in world making new contacts.  And that is exactly what happened.  I made a new contact for something that may be very promising and I didn't have to go looking for it – it came to me.  Had I not let go of the former, I wouldn't have had room or wouldn't have been open to the new!  And the new project could be even more spectacular than the last.  Do I feel I was let down by trusting someone had my best interest at heart as well as their own?  Yes.  Am I going to allow that to keep me from working proactively?  No.  …Weeping endures for the night, but, joy comes in the morning (paraphrase Psalm 30:5).  Grieve what is lost, but be joyful about what is coming. 

Not letting go can rob you of your future.  Someone I know had a promising hockey career.  It was his passion, it possessed him, but, one mistake took it all away.  Years later, he is still grieving that loss and has not had the ability to find the new promise, the new path, the new project.  He essentially robbed himself of his future, by not letting go of his past.  Don’t be one of those.

Yes, you have to weigh the things you do and decide if it’s a good idea or not.  And, you have to decide if you trust those you are going to be working with or not.  Once the decision has been made – get to work.  If you find out that something is not quite as you had expected it to be, or the people you are working with have shown themselves to be less than the trusted colleague you thought; deal with it.  Don’t let it define you.  Don’t let the situation drag you down and stop you from attempting to move forward.   Always remember though, that once someone has shown you who they really are, believe them.  Don’t try and assign a different value set to them.  They are who they are and you can’t change that by trying to believe otherwise. 

So, is this a lesson you have learned in life?  Is it one, you feel you have had more than once?  Changing your way of thinking is not easy.  If you have chosen to trust someone to have your best interests at heart and they have disappointed you, don’t dwell on it.  Analyse it.  See where your thinking may have been flawed and direct your course of action accordingly.  Will you lose a McDonalds type deal along the way – perhaps, but, not learning the lesson can be more costly to your overall peace of mind and your future direction. 

Let it go – make a difference, in your life first, then go out there and make changes in the world.  Do what matters!

A Thankful Thanksgiving!

We're Canadian, so, of course our Thanksgiving is today!  Happy Thanksgiving to all!  

Canadian Thanksgiving corresponds to the harvest; we're further north, so it's earlier than the Americans.  Thanksgiving celebrations are a time of gathering, sharing food - aren't most holidays the same - but, also of being thankful for the blessings we have in this country.  Democracy, freedom of movement, freedom of religion, education for all, basic health care for all and a refuge for the disenfranchised, persecuted and freedom seekers of the world.  

Canada is seen as a predominantly peaceful nation - thank you Lester B. Pearson!  Mr. Pearson's military background probably served him well in his later choices and something not all politicians have had, putting many of them at a disadvantage, globally.  Before Mr. Pearson became our PM in the 1960's, he served as an ambassador, worked with the UN and his philosophical views convinced him of Canada's need to be a peaceful nation. Under his leadership, old age pension and national medicare became accessible to all Canadians. We also raised our current flag - the red and white everyone is so familiar for the first time in 1965.  

Our freedom is precious to us, but, probably is even more so to those who seek asylum in this country.  So, to the immigrants I pose this question.  What have you found in Canada?  Is it the nation of peace keepers you imagined?  Is the land of freedom that you sought?  

Are there flaws?  Most assuredly there are flaws. We are a nation of people who have, for the most part, come from elsewhere and today, we live in peace, but, for our first nation’s people, that peace has been more difficult to attain.  To our shame, we as a nation have treated them, and others, disrespectfully and as less the peace loving people we like to see ourselves.  But, we are moving forward, the disgraces of the past must be faced and the truth of it dealt with for healing happen. 

“Let the first act of every morning be to make the following resolve for the day:
- I shall not fear anyone on Earth. 
- I shall fear only God. 
- I shall not bear ill will toward anyone. 
- I shall not submit to injustice from anyone. 
- I shall conquer untruth by truth. 

- And in resisting untruth, I shall put up with all suffering.” 
― Mahatma Gandhi

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone from here in Canada!

A Live-able Neighbourhood?

Are you living in a livable neighbourhood?  By this, I don't mean, is your house in a safe neighbourhood?  No, a liveable neighbourhood is what most of us lived in at one time over 30 years ago.  Unless you were in a rural area, you likely didn't have to drive to actually live in your neighbourhood.

Simplicity + Clarity = Confidence

Creating confidence in your intended audience is as easy as delivering a message that is simple and clear.  

Not everyone has the ability to do this and sometimes it is done quite intentionally.  After all, if you agree to a plan, which is ambiguous, and things go awry, the organizers can chalk it up to you not knowing how to implement what they envisioned. 

I sat through a webinar recently that was intended to illicit buy-in from leaders for a previously published, proposed strategic direction.  The problem I had with the webinar and indeed with the proposed strategic direction was twofold. 

The Help Desk

To realize optimum benefit, at work or in life, look to what will benefit the person next to you.

In terms of work, this would mean really engaging in the company and the people who work there as opposed to the pay cheque and benefits package you receive.

What’s the problem with that if they are getting their work done, you ask? 

Answer this - why do we find it easier to engage with the company than the people? And, if you think that is not the case, think about this - How many times, on the news or in our own community, you've heard people say “he/she was so quiet, kept to themselves” after a tragedy?   

People are social creatures.  Social interaction isn’t just a ‘like to have’, it’s a ‘must have’! And being social creatures we also have the need not just to belong to a given group, but to feel we belong there.  We need to know we have value, beyond the valuation placed on us by our employer. 

Remembering 9/11 - Is it Enough?

Some events are etched in our minds for life!  I only wish they could all be happy ones. 

12 years ago, I was working in my home office when I received a call.

"Turn on your TV!" 

What I saw, was a tragedy; flames and smoke were billowing from one of the towers of the World Trade Center. It was a weekday and so the building would have been full of people at work.  Reports indicated that those on floors above the fires were trapped and many on lower floors had no knowledge of the extent of the damage above.  As I watched, to my horror, another plane hit the second tower of the WTC!

When you could think like a director on a board, why would you want to think like a CEO?

Much is written about thinking like a CEO or manager, but, I want to challenge you to think like the director on a board.  

There are three duties that each director on a board is tasked with when serving an organization; obedience, care and loyalty. But, beyond this and partly because of this, the board’s creativity, passion and forward thinking are what will make a difference in the strategic direction and mission of an organization.   

A Raise for Apathy!

One of the things I hear most is that the greatest part of the work is done by few people.  Yes, absolutely; that is the law we work under!  Those who take on a job with a strong work ethic, would not think of giving less than their 8 hours work for 8 hours pay, etc. Although apathy is frowned upon in the work place, what it boils down to in the eyes of a stressed out manager is it is also a harmless vice.  Enter, Jack. 

When Organizations Make Poor Choices

A well established institution of higher education in Sudbury, Cambrian College, was recently named in a lawsuit; alleging they encouraged information sharing through a proposed partnership agreement, then told that future partner they had decided not to pursue that specific direction of learning opportunities for students. 

The contractor who had brought their idea to the college would never have known of the real intent had it not been an ad placed in November 2012, looking to replace the retiring president.  What transpired after that is the content for a ‘based on real life’ movie.  You know the kind I mean, where the little guy has to struggle with the decision to walk away or take on the big guy. 

Where is Your Place of Reflection?

The call of water is strong with many people. And so it is with me, although you'll never find me in a boat and rarely in the water either.
But, in times of change, in times of sorrow, especially, in times of reflection, I find myself by the water.
How does something, so seemingly innocuous, provide such a powerfully peaceful feeling?
As one who grew up living beside the water, I love the never ending sound it provides, gentle and rhythmic most of the time, loud, angry and crashing at other times. And, there's something for all the senses. You can usually always hear it. You can smell it, see it and touch it. The colours, shades, reflections all provide visual stimulus. Rising or setting suns, rainbows and even clouds can all dramatically change the look of the lake. And, then there are the artificial addition of boats, jet skis, etc. Not my favourites and fortunately something that is not a huge problem in my area. I much prefer to see sailboats, canoes, kayaks etc. on our lake.

Life without Regret

Can you imagine, getting to the end of your life, having done all the things you ever wanted to do?  

Most of us can't.  

The question then becomes, have I always included things I really want to do in my day to day life? Again no?  

There are some who can draw themselves out a very detailed life plan and spend their life fulfilling their plan.  Are these the people who have it all figured out?  

Again, no! 

Figuring it out, isn't what life is all about.  In the end, most people who think they had it all figured out, really, didn't.  So, how are you to know?  How do you know that when you get to the end of your life, you won't be full of regrets?  Purpose! 

I'll tell you about two people, both professionals, both driven, both seemingly having it all figured out.  I'm using their stories here without their permission, so, I will not name them. 

Surviving and Thriving, or are You?

There are so many safety measures in place now for children, that the only way I can explain making it to my age without them is, survival!   

We don't want our children to just survive, so, we've created car seats that cradle your newborn and keep them secure until you get where you're going; high chairs and strollers with 5-point safety straps; helmets for them to ride trikes or bikes.  And of course there are various and sundry other safety items that keep them from scraping their knees or elbows in a fall, safety gates for stairs, closer set bars in their cribs, painted without leaded paint.  Yes, children are safer now, physically. 

When we were children, we enjoyed the exploration of our world with some limitations.  Our parents would give us dire warnings about certain aspects and they expected we would abide.  And abide we did, because, the thought of repercussions for non-adherence was greater than our curiosity.  

That did not always prevent us going past the line, but, in general it did.  We weren't given a lot of instructions, but, those we were, we knew were meant to be obeyed. And some instructions came in really handy - my Dad told me to never let an animal know you're afraid of it - which came in extremely useful the day I encountered a pack of dogs who didn't appear to be friendly at all. Quaking in my boots, I stood my ground and walked ever so slowly backwards towards an escape route.  Fortunately, for me, I think they were just as glad I left their property.  Thanks Dad!  

So, now, we're all grown up and have no one to tell us that there could be danger around the next corner, mostly metaphorically speaking.  It's up to each one of us to explore those things that could bring us the success we desire.  We have to stand our ground and forge ahead, quaking and all, towards the vision we have created for ourselves.  Your vision is your end game and unless you're willing to play, you won't get there.  Safety in all things is not an option!  

How do we measure our risk appetite?  Start small if you like, but, start. You're not likely to stumble across success, you have work to do.  Get it done. Risk failure - fail even - but, don't stop.  

Be like Thomas Edison, who found nearly 10,000 ways something wasn't going to work, before, he found the thing that did.  Or, like James Lee Burke, a prolific writer, but, one who was rejected over 100 times before he was published the first time.  What kept them going?  Likely, they had a vision. They knew what they wanted to do, what they could do and they weren't ready to quit. 

Your success is your own.  There is no magic wand; what there is - vision, mission, values.  Put them to work for you and you will succeed.  Adapt along the way, since you may have to follow some different paths before you get to where you're going.  But, don't give up.  If you know where you're going and you're adaptable to the means of getting there.  It can be done!

Success stories are all around you - write your own and go for it!  If you don't believe me, check out this author, who had a near death experience before he really plugged in to the thing that he knew he would do - someday! Don't let your someday slip by you because you're too busy with your day to day.  

http://friesenpress.com/blog/2013/7/22/self-publishing-book-promotions-strategy  

Let 'your day' start today - live positively, enjoy the ride - do what matters!

Efficient vs Effective

Efficiency! 
How are you measuring efficiency?  And how does it differ from effectiveness? 
If it were the furnace or air conditioner in your home, you would likely say, it was efficient if it was delivering the best results for the least amount of energy consumed.  It could still be effective, heating and cooling, without being efficient.  
If you think of this in terms of work, that would equate to the best results with a minimum of effort and/or resources spent.  
So, why, if that's the case, do we continue to reward those who waste the resources of the company, agency (government or otherwise) with high salaries and bonuses?  
In short, it's really as simple as, a bad contract - which is your inefficient way of hiring.   
A typical contract contains information about compensation and benefits, but, rarely addresses specific performance aspects.  Why?  Most companies don't know exactly what the benchmarks should be and most boards of directors are likewise in the dark.  If they don't know, they can't write it in.  And, of course the legal office assisting is usually just as uninformed as the board of directors.  
Your organization should be very specific about what you want your new hire to do, but, it should not only be effective (finding someone to fill a spot) but, efficient (finding the right person to fill that spot).  You can effectively hire and give that person the resources to get the work done, or, you can hire someone who will work efficiently and effectively.  Basically, this is the proactive approach to hiring vs. the reactive approach of hiring to fill a spot.
So, how do you hire efficiently?  Get to know who you are as an organization and find out what you want to get done.  Then, when you're writing out a contract, you will know exactly what you need someone to do and how you want them to get it done - efficiently!   And get rid of buyout clauses.  If someone isn't working out, you should be able to get rid of them without paying out an additional 18 months or more, for the privilege.  They are, after all, your employee, not, your partner. 
Happy (head) hunting!