http://gty.im/185664072 She was writhing naked around on the bed. She was excited with a huge smile on her face. My heart rate was rising. We had to be somewhere in 20 minutes. We were running out of time. She didn't care. I was frustrated. She wouldn't cooperate. Why would she? I was cramming her into a modern construct that is meaningless from a biological evolutionary perspective. 3 year olds show us how we've gone astray in our attempts to scale and find meaning. Jen, … [Read more...]
Who Cares About What You Do?
February 25, 2014 by
It doesn't matter what you do. It matters what you do does. It matters what the impact of what you do has on your Customer, client, friend, son, mother or husband. The more impact, the better (Hopefully, that impact is positive). You say, "I talk to my wife 6 times a day. I'm a good husband." Great! Good for you. What's the impact? Maybe she wants you to leave her alone. Maybe you're driving her freakin' bonkers. It's not about what you do. It's about what is create by what you … [Read more...]
Learn This Easy Magic Trick. It’s quick!
June 24, 2013 by
I walked in the door to the office this morning. Joe, the security guard, waved and smiled. I caught him in the corner of my eye, over my shoulder. I turned and waved back. A smile crossed my face. I realized this was a ritual that started my day with pleasure. It was small. But valued. I stopped, turned around, and walked to Joe. I opened the glass door to the small reception area where Joe sits. I told Joe how much I appreciated his wave and smile in the morning. I … [Read more...]
This Test Is Pass/Fail. Do You Pass This Test?
May 22, 2013 by
I've asked a lot people if they want a more significant and meaningful life. Every person I ask says 'Yes'. They may be lying. After all, it's a loaded question. Who really wants to tell someone, "Eh, I really don't give shit ... I'm good enough." Or they may be answering from the core of their soul. Looking at how people live tells me it might be somewhere in between. Or they just don't know how. At least not consistently. What about you? How do you qualify yourself? What … [Read more...]
Can you afford ‘No’?
April 29, 2013 by
Hierarchical leadership is a permission machine. The machine is primed to respond with "No". People's work becomes figuring out how to override the default response ... moving the machine to "Yes". And then doing it again. And again. Working with the mysterious machine to get permission to move things forward. Managers might exist simply to push at the levers ... trying for the right combination to produce a "Yes". Other managers might exist simply to increase the volume … [Read more...]
What Could You Achieve With Crushing Authority?
April 25, 2013 by
Rob started telling me about the cool stuff he was producing at work. His team is building things that would cost millions to buy. I was impressed with what his team accomplished. I asked him his secret. His team saw problems. They created solutions. Rob's job was easy. Just say "Yes." No one told them to do it. They just did it. Rob let them. More than that... he encouraged them. Rob didn't try to manage his people (or their tasks). He led his people and their … [Read more...]
Want More Success? You’ll Have To Do This 1 Thing
March 14, 2013 by
Will said, "They won't do it! Have you read Sven's email. He said 'No.'" I asked Will, "Have you spoken to them?" "No." I Instant Message Sven. I bring up the situation, apologize for any way we miscommunicated in the past, and ask when there'd be a good time to chat. Sven sent his phone number. We had a quick conversation and set up a meeting with a couple of other folks from his team. Sven's "No" turned to "Maybe." Two more conversations and we got to "Yes." We … [Read more...]
Want This Year to Be Easier? Read This.
January 3, 2013 by
We scurried out of the house. We just scored an hour with Jen's parents watching the girls. A huge sigh of relief for both of us. It was in the 30s outside. I said, "Let's walk." Jen said, "It's too cold. I'll need to get a hat and gloves if we walk." I shrugged it off. We hopped in the car and started driving. I got to the light. I realized how silly the objection of getting a hat and gloves was. Walking 20 feet to get hat and gloves wouldn't have been a … [Read more...]
4 Keys to Amaze Your Customer
October 1, 2012 by
Last week, Jen "asked" me to donate it. The time had come. I had to say goodbye to my old friend. The 98 Lincoln. It had 260,000 miles on it. And it had a few issues. Some larger than others. The Lincoln had sit in front of the house for a month. I hate to say goodbye. I called the Dallas CAN Academy. They support education for students who struggle in traditional learning settings. One way they do this is by taking donated cars. They provided one of the … [Read more...]
What are you making believe?
July 26, 2012 by
A client turned around his shop's performance. He reshaped his team. He got them lined up with his plan and his vision. He did it in under 3 months. I asked him how he did it. "By making it believable." I asked him what he meant by that. He said, "people need to see before they believe. We're not where we need to be yet. I'm what they see". A team won't follow a leader unless the leader believes in where their team is going. People who lead others successfully make the … [Read more...]
