#1467 hot

Have you noticed the hot new trend of succulent plants? Just when everyone has their lush, green potted plants on their patios and windowsills, along comes the new "must have" of miniature cacti. 

Most of these plants come in very tiny containers, but they don't have tiny price tags if you get a full planter. Individual plants come in tiny pots that include a magnet or a small string to hang. I think part of the novelty is, well, the novelty, but also the appeal is that they only require watering once per month. 

What I wonder is what happened to make these plants suddenly appear at almost every gardening retailer? Why now? Did they get a new distributor or a new source of plants? Were they the hot item at a garden supplier buyers show? Did Pinterest see one in a magnetized pot and it took off from there?

I am always amazed when something goes from "I've never seen that before" to "these things are everywhere." It recently happened with adult coloring books, and now it's cacti. 

When you see a new trend, pay attention. Watch when and where you first notice it, and see how long it is before the item is featured on clearance or becomes yesterday's news. Think about what caused that trajectory -- and better yet, how you can replicate it for something of value to your organization.

You can learn from things that aren't linear, and these cute little plants are hotter than the desert in which they normally grow.

-- dr. beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

 

#1466 home again

As I have mentioned before, I read the classified ads for the same dose of humor that I get from the comics. There is always something in the listings that strikes me as funny or odd, but I have also noticed themes in what reoccurs in the announcement section. The number one item that is reported as lost: prescription eyeglasses.

One day last week, there were several pairs lost and even one reported as found. What I can't understand is why there hasn't yet been a solution to this problem. Glasses are small, expensive and often taken on/off. Why aren't they marked in such a way that they can easily be returned?

My dogs have a microchip that is the size of a grain of rice. This would easily fit into the arm of most glasses. People could opt whether or not to do it, and then register their contact information with a central clearinghouse. You find a pair of glasses, you take it in to an optical shop, they scan it and the spectacles are reunited with their grateful owner. If that is too elaborate, a simple identification code could be imprinted in the frame that accomplishes the same thing -- sort of a unique serial number that is stored in some database somewhere that links the glasses with their owner.

Transition lenses, progressive lenses, designer frames and more have proliferated the eyeglass experience so much that a pair of glasses is becoming a serious investment. It makes it more worthwhile for people to invest in insurance to have their shades come "home again" like they advertise for pets. 

I hope someone sees clear to take this idea and run with it. If it's you, let me know: I'll be your first customer!

-- dr. beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

#1465 look down

In addition to the traditional signs that are found in Greenville, SC (as described yesterday), the city also features bronze mice as a unique enhancement to their downtown. Part art and part scavenger hunt, it was conceived as a project to entertain children. The group I was with is much older than any child, and we enjoyed it as well.

Nine mice are hidden along Main Street and retailers provide clues to assist in locating the objects. It provides for entertainment among the shopping and is a nice diversion.

 

And if you aren't interested in spotting mice, Greenville's sidewalks also contain words of inspiration for you. Throughout downtown are quotes embedded in the walkways such as: 

What can you do to add a piece of unique flair to your environment? Can you add a similar type of mystery to entertain your youngest clientele? Is there a piece of artwork or other visuals that can enliven a plain wall? Can you put meaning into an otherwise ordinary traffic area?

Greenville has created a charming downtown area, in part through small extra touches like the above. Don't overlook the little things that can add up to make a big difference in your space.

-- dr. beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

#1464 sign of the times

There are so many signs out there that in one way or another say "no."  It may be with the universal red circle with diagonal line through the middle, or it may come right out and say "don't/no/not allowed", but rarely do signs say much more than that.

I was struck by this sign in Greenville, SC. It had the red circle and also said "no" and "don't", but with the addition of a few more words, made it seem much more positive and pleasant.

Even their "no skateboarding" signs were artistic and less harsh than most:

There are certainly times when behaviors are prohibited or discouraged and signage needs to be in place. But don't let your sense of hospitality or courtesy be negated in the process. Make it a sign of your service to put thought and design into all you communicate.

-- dr. beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

#1463 gadgets

Time magazine recently released its list of the 50 most influential gadgets. After what they termed "deliberations at (extreme) length", Time editors compiled a list of technology that has changed how people interact with the world.

I tried to guess some of the items that were on there before I looked at the list, and found several of my choices there (Polaroid camera, iPhone, IBM Selectric Typewriter, Sony Walkman, iPod, iPad, Blackberry and Atari game system). I shook my head knowingly with several other nominees that I just didn't think of (Fitbit, Victrola record player, Sony Trinitron color television, Nest thermostat). But there were many others that I would have not included on my list, more likely because they have yet to influence my world (Google Glass, Makerbot Replicator 3D printer, Oculus Rift virtual reality headset).

Overall, it was a fun read and it brought home that for many of these gadgets, the impact is not felt for years. Who knew when the first Jerrold Cable Box came out in the 1950s that cable television would have the reach it does today? Or when Phillips released its first VCR in 1972 to lackluster response due to cost, that by 1980 most homes would have one? 

Looking at lists such as this is a good way to put things in perspective. If we just focus on what we have today -- in gadgets or in our organization -- it is easy to lose sight of just how far we have come. The iPhone built on technology from Nokia and other devices; it did not come out of nowhere. The same is true in organizations: if we are effective, where we are today is an evolution from other incremental successes in the past.

Take a stroll down memory lane with the gadget list, and do the same in your organization. What are the 50 (or 10 or 25) most influential items in your history? I'll bet you see themes that connect the present to the future and the past, even if they are now connected by the cloud instead of by cables and wires.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

The 50 Most Influential Gadgets of All Time, Time, May 3, 2016

#1462 grit

I am reading (and very much enjoying) Angela Duckworth's book Grit. She defines grit as a combination of passion and perseverance, a "ferocious determination" that keeps people working toward their goal despite the obstacles they face in getting there.

It caused me to assess my grittiness and ask myself if I had the magic combination of perseverance and passion to do what it takes to succeed. The example that came first to my mind is this blog. Today is Happy Anniversary for leadershipdots -- four full years of writing something for every single day. There are certainly days that I have no desire, let alone passion to write anything, but apparently I have enough perseverance to get it done anyway. 

Duckworth's Grit Scale assesses where you are on the two dimensions of grit. I'd recommend that you take the quick 10-question assessment and learn for yourself whether you are stronger in passion or perseverance. Do you need to work harder to identify your true interests or do you need to stick with something longer before moving on to something new? Her book provides many strategies to strengthen your grittiness, and I'll guess most of us could use a boost in that department. 

We've all experienced that sweet spot when the time just flew and we were immersed in the task at hand. Grit describes ways to cultivate that alignment over the long term. Lucky for us that it is what we put into things, not our pre-determined ration of talent, that determines what we will get out of it in the end. Apply her Hard Thing Rule to double the results from your efforts today.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

#1461 probing

Over the weekend I watch the movie Walk the Line about June Carter and Johnny Cash.  Johnny was an unlikely star, singing about shooting men and prisons in an era where wholesome gospel ballads were more popular. He may not have been in the music business at all, let alone sold 90 million albums, had it not been for the risk-taking and keen observation talents of Sam Phillips.

Cash persuaded Phillips to audition him for a record. When Cash's initial song failed to impress Phillips, he gave Cash a second chance to perform "something real."  "If you were hit by a truck and lying in a gutter, and had time to only sing one song to let God know what you felt about your time here on Earth," Phillips asked, "What one song would sum you up?" Cash debuted what would become Folsom Prison Blues and the rest is history.

But what if Phillips would have ended the audition after the gospel song? Or failed to ask the question that prompted Cash to perform his brand of music? Personally I wound up doing one of the most exciting projects of my career because someone asked: "How do you do your job differently than other people who have your job?" It's far different than just asking "What do you do?"

Often the magic is in the questions that are asked as much as in the answers. Take the time to dig deeper in your next conversation. The right question may yield a reply that uncovers greatness you did not know was in front of you.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com