#1223 essence

I have always enjoyed the USA Today feature which provides the list of best-selling books and a succinct summary of them.  By succinct, I mean a few words, not even the Cliff Notes of the Cliff Notes.  

For example:

To Kill a Mockingbird/Harper Lee (#12) "1960 coming-of-age classic about racism"

A Walk in the Woods/Bill Bryson (#21) "An attempt to hike the 2,100-mile Appalachian Trail"

StrengthsFinder 2.0/Tom Rath (#37) "Lifetime strategies for using your talents"

I have always admired the person who boils down 200 pages to its essence. I'll bet that the person excels at writing tweets too.

Think about how you can use the USA Today book list or Twitter as a measuring gauge for your message. Can you summarize your value proposition in a precise way that would fit the limitations of these media?  Does the reader of your proposal know exactly what action you want them to take?  Is your staff clear on what you value?

While pages and paragraphs have their place to convey wonderful prose, getting to the point has its virtues as well.  Don't let your message get lost in the words.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com

@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

Source:  USA Today Best-Selling Books, booklist.usatoday.com, September 17, 2015, p. 4D

#1222 distorted

In blog #962, I wrote how the further away from something we get, the more affinity we feel toward it.  I will amend that thesis to add time as another element that influences our fondness for a particular event or person.

We just finished homecoming and it reminded me of this variation.  The more time between encounters the less closeness that is required to be glad about the reunion.  People who hadn't seen each other in decades -- and may not have been particularly close when they did -- were embracing like long lost sisters. I received hugs from previous students who barely said hello when they saw me every day, but because years had passed since our encounter, the warmness increased.  

This phenomenon happens with things too.  My dogs totally ignore a certain toy -- until it has been lost under the couch for weeks -- and then it becomes their favorite bone when they are reunited.  Items that I saw every day in my mother's cupboard meant little, but now when I see that same pattern of dishes in the antique store I want to buy it "just to have." 

This perception distortion is perfectly natural, but it is something of which to be aware.  Absence truly does make the heart grow fonder, so make your decisions with that bias in mind.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com

@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

#1221 frame

It always gives me pause when I encounter someone who questions a fact that I think is totally obvious.  If I assume something is commonly held knowledge but come to discover that it isn't, I try to reflect on what other assumptions I am making about how I communicate.

An example of this was recently brought home when a student was having trouble finding a frame to fit a piece of art he had been given.  The picture was 28 x 22, but he asked for help because all he could find were frames that were 22 x 28.

I know that the generic frame he was considering could just be hung the other way, but to him, those were two different sizes.  It occurred to me that he had no experience in buying a frame and the only thing he ever measured in two dimensions was probably pants -- and a 32 x 34 men's slacks is definitely different than a 34 x 32.  If pant sizes aren't interchangeable, why would frame dimensions be?

The next time you encounter someone who sees the world from an entirely different frame of reference, take a moment to consider the view.  You just might learn something from the new perspective.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com

@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

#1220 signature

As part of the spiel in our admissions presentation, we always joke with the parents that we love cookies and that they should bring us some when they come back.  I've been saying this for a long time and no one ever took us up on the offer...

...no one that is except for Mrs. Heidler.  She brought us cookies when her son moved in.  She brought us cookies every single time she came to visit.  She sent cookies back after holiday breaks and summer vacation.  Every year, for four years, until her son graduated.  For many reasons, we were very sad to see him go.

He graduated two years ago, but was back this weekend for homecoming.  And guess what he brought along with him?  Yes, his dear mother sent admissions yet another plate of cookies.

It may be a little thing, but a small gesture becomes magnified when done with such consistency.  How can you take a lesson from Mrs. Heidler and act on your thoughts of kindness, over and over again?  Regardless if it is a plate of cookies, a flower from your garden or a craft that you make, saying 'I'm thinking of you' with a tangible item is the ticket to endearment.  What generous gesture can become your signature?  

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com

@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

#1219 gone mad

At first I thought it was just Target, but once I started paying attention I realized that many retailers have gone mad for plaid.  I haven't seen so much tartan since the preppy days of the 1980s.

But if you roam the aisles of any retailer, you'll find that plaid packaging abounds.  I am not sure why businesses think that plaid sells more mouthwash or lip balm or make up than plain wrappers, but they seemingly do.

Plaid is everywhere these days. It's the hot new trend which leaves you faced with a choice:  do you jump on the bandwagon or ignore it?  Only you can decide if you want to create your own pattern or be woven in with the others. 

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com

@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

#1218 the bug

A new car dealer just opened in town after months of teaser billboards preparing us for their arrival.  First it was a peace sign, then a heart was added, then a shamrock and finally the VW logo.  All this to announce a new dealership grand opening on September 14.  I'm sure they were riding high to be the only provider in town of the world's top automaker.

And then September 18 came.  If you have paid attention to the news lately, you no doubt heard about the trouble at Volkswagen.  On the 18th, the EPA accused VW of installing software on its cars specifically to circumvent the emission testing.  The CEO has been fired, production halted, legal battles initiated, global investigations started and fines levied.  It is a mess.

Talk about bad luck or timing!

I do not know the people at this dealership, but I feel for them.  Circumstances far beyond their control have upended their business plan, dreams and perhaps even livelihood.  

This scenario helps me keep things in perspective. While my world is clearly not problem-free, at least I'm not charged with reducing 15 tons of waste as I wrote about yesterday or opening a dealership for a brand involved in an international scandal.  

Someone always has it harder than you do.  Remember the new VW dealer the next time you've got the woe-is-me bug.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com

@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

Sources:  
A diesel deception at WV shows new curves ahead for carmakers by Matt Vella in Time magazine, October 5, 2015, p. 9-10

Volkswagen facing 'tsunami' of legal trouble by the Associated Press in the Telegraph Herald, September 28, 2015

Volkswagen betrayal hurts everybody.  Editorial in the Telegraph Herald, September 28, 2015, p. 4A

#1217 problem solving

Do you remember that great scene in the movie Apollo 13 where Ed Harris' character dumps a bunch of components on the table and tells his staff that they have to find a way to make a square filter fit a round hole to provide breathable air to the astronauts?  I have always loved that segment as an example of how defining a problem with specificity can greatly increase the odds of it being solved.

I learned of another example of specificity in action at the Subaru plant in Indiana.  They were challenged to reduce 15 tons of waste every 24 hours to 0 landfill contributions.  Think about that.  Would you be excited if that task was given to you by your boss?

The staff at Subaru not only took on the problem, they solved it!  

Here is how they did it:  Infographic

The lessons they learned:
1.  Ask the right question.  It wasn't lofty dumping trash on the floor and sorting it, but it helped them learn what they were up against.

2.  See for yourself.  They worked to reduce, reuse and recycle -- there wasn't just one answer to the problem.

3.  Talk to your outer circle.  Subaru worked with others to assist in finding solutions.

4.  Improve the mix.  They sought an entirely different path for that last mile.

5.  Deliver the difference.  Not only did their efforts help the environment, it improved the bottom line.

The next time you are faced with a daunting challenge, don't be overwhelmed. Remember how the team at Subaru solved their giant problem through specificity and small steps.  Sounds like connecting the dots to me!

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com

@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

Thanks Meg for sharing!

Source:  http://blog.octanner.com/editor-picks/the-results-of-great-work-infographic?utm_campaign=2015_09_Newsletter.html&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua