Of all the chores I regularly do, laundry is my favorite. I also think that it provides lessons on how we can do other work:
> It's an effective use of in between time. Doing laundry isn't exactly multi-tasking in the traditional sense, but I can read while the cycle is running and still feel like I am being productive. I get downtime without any twinge of guilt if a load or two is done in between!
> I set limits on laundry. I do it on Sundays, and even though dirty clothes will accumulate as soon as Sunday night, I never think of dealing with them until the next weekend. This is a good practice in setting boundaries and applies to many other things (like how often you check email and social media, or how many hours you work.)
> It is a finite task. When the laundry is finished on Sunday afternoon, it is done. There is a tangible product, and an output. In the words of Seth Godin, "we shipped." Your work should provide a sense of satisfaction on a completed job well done, even if it is putting the last of the clean clothes in the drawer.
Most everything we do has lessons for other things. Take a new look at your routine chores like laundry and see if there are things you can learn that relate to your work or other duties. There may be unseen lessons that come out in the wash.
-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com
Monday, March 7, 2016
Sunday, March 6, 2016
#1374 spin
My friend, a contractor, was lamenting about a house he was helping to build. The cupboards for the kitchen had been on back order, and when they finally arrived, they were the wrong ones. It meant the kitchen wouldn't be finished in time for the preview showing and would likely cause a delay in selling the place.
I got a good laugh when I read the advertisement for the open house. After the usual description of the property, it read: "Still time to pick your kitchen cabinets."
This back order became a selling point. What can you do to turn your negative situation into a positive?
-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com
leadershipdots@gmail.com
Saturday, March 5, 2016
#1373 toss up
When I wrote yesterday that benefits and learning come from whatever option we choose, I was referencing the larger decisions we make. These are the choices that require some thought and research, and often have implications that change the trajectory of our life.
But there are dozens of decisions that we need to make every day, and many of them have little or no consequences. Why do we spend emotional energy debating whether to wear the red tie or blue one? To eat Italian or Mexican food for supper? To watch Movie A or Movie B? To take your car or mine?
To avoid the casual angst over decisions such as these, I now turn to the Coin Flip app. In one handy flick of the finger, the virtual coin (complete with sound effects!) tosses in the air and lands. Heads: it's the red tie. DONE.
Don't waste any more of your precious time pretending that the decision has consequence and debating the merits of both sides. Commit to Heads or Tails, either in reality or on your phone, and move on. Trust me, it really won't matter how it lands. Your time is worth more than the money you are tossing.
Thanks to Toby!
But there are dozens of decisions that we need to make every day, and many of them have little or no consequences. Why do we spend emotional energy debating whether to wear the red tie or blue one? To eat Italian or Mexican food for supper? To watch Movie A or Movie B? To take your car or mine?
To avoid the casual angst over decisions such as these, I now turn to the Coin Flip app. In one handy flick of the finger, the virtual coin (complete with sound effects!) tosses in the air and lands. Heads: it's the red tie. DONE.
Don't waste any more of your precious time pretending that the decision has consequence and debating the merits of both sides. Commit to Heads or Tails, either in reality or on your phone, and move on. Trust me, it really won't matter how it lands. Your time is worth more than the money you are tossing.
-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com
leadershipdots@gmail.com
Thanks to Toby!
Friday, March 4, 2016
#1372 the fork
In the recent People magazine, Justin Bieber is quoted as saying to GQ: "If I could go back, I wouldn't really change much. I think it's all my journey. That stuff made me who I am."
I never quote "The Bieb", but his observation reminded me of a conversation I just had with a colleague. We were discussing options that I am considering for "what's next" in my life, and she recalled when she was at a similar career junction. The advice given to her was: "no matter which option you choose, it will open up other opportunities and you will learn something from it." Wise words!
There are points in the decision process, for both big things and small, that the best option is to pick an option and go with it. Either path will lead to new things, and help make you who you are.
Source: Chatter column, People magazine, February 29, 2016, p. 2
Thanks Kelsey for the advice!
I never quote "The Bieb", but his observation reminded me of a conversation I just had with a colleague. We were discussing options that I am considering for "what's next" in my life, and she recalled when she was at a similar career junction. The advice given to her was: "no matter which option you choose, it will open up other opportunities and you will learn something from it." Wise words!
There are points in the decision process, for both big things and small, that the best option is to pick an option and go with it. Either path will lead to new things, and help make you who you are.
-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com
leadershipdots@gmail.com
Source: Chatter column, People magazine, February 29, 2016, p. 2
Thanks Kelsey for the advice!
Thursday, March 3, 2016
#1371 association
There is a whole world out there of professional associations of which I was previously unaware. In short, there is an association for everything.
Some examples of associations with current job openings:
> Prestressed Concrete Institute
> Large Urology Group Practice Association
> Apartment Association of Greater Orlando
> National Association of Counties
> American Society of Nephrology
> US Association of Cider Makers
> American Jail Association
> American College of Chest Physicians
> Portland Cement Association
> American Association of Blood Banks
At times we feel alone in our professional world, thinking that no one else outside our small circle of colleagues "gets" what we do. We may be right. But undoubtedly there are others who share similar professional pursuits, and we can bond with them through an association.
Belonging is one of the most primal instincts of humans, and associations allow us to surround ourselves or foster connections with others with whom we have work in common. We can be with people who understand the jargon, live the frustrations, share the joys and ponder the same questions that we do.
Take a moment to look externally and see what you can learn from your professional tribe. There is no need to reinvent the wheel when technology makes it so easy to learn from those who are also working with it everyday.
-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com
Source: American Society of Association Executives -- there's even an association for associations!
ASAE jobs
Some examples of associations with current job openings:
> Prestressed Concrete Institute
> Large Urology Group Practice Association
> Apartment Association of Greater Orlando
> National Association of Counties
> American Society of Nephrology
> US Association of Cider Makers
> American Jail Association
> American College of Chest Physicians
> Portland Cement Association
> American Association of Blood Banks
At times we feel alone in our professional world, thinking that no one else outside our small circle of colleagues "gets" what we do. We may be right. But undoubtedly there are others who share similar professional pursuits, and we can bond with them through an association.
Belonging is one of the most primal instincts of humans, and associations allow us to surround ourselves or foster connections with others with whom we have work in common. We can be with people who understand the jargon, live the frustrations, share the joys and ponder the same questions that we do.
Take a moment to look externally and see what you can learn from your professional tribe. There is no need to reinvent the wheel when technology makes it so easy to learn from those who are also working with it everyday.
-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com
Source: American Society of Association Executives -- there's even an association for associations!
ASAE jobs
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
#1370 again
There are many examples out there of commercial encouragement to reuse products. Staples has encouraged people to recycle their ink cartridges at the store, and they provide a Staples credit to those who do. Shipping stores will accept the "packing peanuts" for reuse. The Farmer's Market accepts empty egg cartons for reuse.
Now Kohls has started to actively solicit its customers to return their plastic hangars to their store -- you know them: the large clear plastic hangars that work well on racks, but somehow seem oversized in a regular closet. Now they can have a second life.
All of these are win-win situations. It saves the store money. It keeps unwanted items out of the landfill, and actually allows them to be used again. It generates repeat traffic as customers come back into the store to drop off their goods.
Why don't more places do this? Florists could offer a credit for the return of the vases from bouquets. Nurseries could exchange empty planters or seed pots for a discount on future purchases. Fruit boxes/containers could go back to the store instead of into the recycle bin. Shipping stores could accept some of the millions of padded envelopes that Amazon alone uses.
Think about what your organization uses that you could use again if it came back to you: Name badges or lanyards at events. Parking permits for visitors. Cash envelopes for bank withdrawals. Conference bags/shopping bags. Maps. Magnetic keys. The list goes on and on.
Take some steps to help the life of your tangibles to go on and on too -- at least for a second trip.
Now Kohls has started to actively solicit its customers to return their plastic hangars to their store -- you know them: the large clear plastic hangars that work well on racks, but somehow seem oversized in a regular closet. Now they can have a second life.
All of these are win-win situations. It saves the store money. It keeps unwanted items out of the landfill, and actually allows them to be used again. It generates repeat traffic as customers come back into the store to drop off their goods.
Why don't more places do this? Florists could offer a credit for the return of the vases from bouquets. Nurseries could exchange empty planters or seed pots for a discount on future purchases. Fruit boxes/containers could go back to the store instead of into the recycle bin. Shipping stores could accept some of the millions of padded envelopes that Amazon alone uses.
Think about what your organization uses that you could use again if it came back to you: Name badges or lanyards at events. Parking permits for visitors. Cash envelopes for bank withdrawals. Conference bags/shopping bags. Maps. Magnetic keys. The list goes on and on.
Take some steps to help the life of your tangibles to go on and on too -- at least for a second trip.
-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com
leadershipdots@gmail.com
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
#1369 additional
Think about these scenarios:
> Someone drives an extra mile to save two-cents per gallon in gas.
> A person says yes to the $200 custom floor mats when buying a $20,000 car.
> A homeowner agrees to pay an extra $2,000 for a porch as he is making final decisions to build a $200,000 home.
> A company agrees to change vendors in order to receive additional features so adds $20,000 to their $2 million budget.
> A government department adds a new $2 million expense to a $2 billion line item and barely notices it.
Oftentimes people get lost in the moment and forget about the context in which they are making their decision. It is easy to be seduced by the scale and lose grounding as to what is reality.
The next time you want to "add", step back and consider what you are committing to on its own. More time and more money is more, even if it is small in relation to the whole. It may be worth it, but it's also worth the moment to evaluate whether it is.
> Someone drives an extra mile to save two-cents per gallon in gas.
> A person says yes to the $200 custom floor mats when buying a $20,000 car.
> A homeowner agrees to pay an extra $2,000 for a porch as he is making final decisions to build a $200,000 home.
> A company agrees to change vendors in order to receive additional features so adds $20,000 to their $2 million budget.
> A government department adds a new $2 million expense to a $2 billion line item and barely notices it.
Oftentimes people get lost in the moment and forget about the context in which they are making their decision. It is easy to be seduced by the scale and lose grounding as to what is reality.
The next time you want to "add", step back and consider what you are committing to on its own. More time and more money is more, even if it is small in relation to the whole. It may be worth it, but it's also worth the moment to evaluate whether it is.
-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com
leadershipdots@gmail.com
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