I Grind Harder Than You

I've spent lots of time over the years pushing myself. 

that ridiculous "inbox zero" goal...

the perceived need to be the first one in the office and the last to leave...

the email sessions over the weekend to stay on top of every single thing in the universe...

and worst of all, the guilt that comes from actually giving myself some down time.

What is Wrong With Me
Maybe it comes with age...er...not being an up and comer anymore? Maybe it's a new lens that we are blessed with when we cross the halfway mark (yes, I'm over 50). Or, maybe it's just that I'm thinking about my whole self, and how taking care of my whole self actually makes me a better member of my organization?

How is this post any different than the ones that talk about work / life balance and taking care of yourself?

Well, it's not about everyone else like those other posts. This one is about me.

Slowly Figuring It Out
Over the last year or so, I've finally started to distance myself from "work guilt" and have completely moved away from the odd concept of "work / life balance."

First, the guilt. 

Understanding that my entire life is not defined by the work I do (although I am extremely proud of what we're doing at Kinetix); and, that the success we are having can not be the only thing that represents who I am.

My family, my faith, my friends and my health are also huge parts of who I am. Recognizing that those pieces also deserve my "time" has been an important and positive shift for me.

Now, that balance fallacy.

For a long time I've struggled to let go of trying to balance my work life and personal life. Not necessarily in the way you might think though. The realization that has finally come is to fully embrace that notion that my life includes both my work and personal lives throughout every day.

I may need to spend a night (or several) working on a proposal, catching up on work tasks or prepping for a busy day. The weekend might provide the only time I can focus on important follow up items.

I also may need to spend part of a day addressing other pressing issues in my life that are not work related...but they are "me" related.

My whole self. 

It comes down to balancing my whole life, not trying to compartmentalize the many facets of who I am into nice little buckets and time slots on my calendar.

Life balance.

How About You
Have you gotten caught up in the mindset of hyper-productivity is the only true productivity? I was there for many years. Now, I embrace all of the parts of my life and I feel stronger and more effective than ever. I wish it hadn't taken so long to get here.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

Faith, Values and HR

Wait, what?

I know what you are thinking. We can not talk about our faith in the workplace! That's crazy talk! We are going to get complaints, the employees will be in an uproar, and we might even get sued!

Um, let's just slow down here for a minute.

Leave Your Personal Life at the Door
Have you ever heard this phrase? Have you ever said it to an employee? When was the last time you walked into work and shut off every single part of your life outside of work?

I know the answer. Never, that's when.

Regardless of your faith perspective (if you have one) this seems like one of the most absurd (and candidly embarrassing) management messages to send..."leave your personal life at the door."

Our lives are not broken into convenient little pieces.
There is no work/life balance.
There is only life balance, and our faith is
a big part of that journey.

Live the Values
If we pause for a moment to consider what most of our corporate values say (and let's be honest, most are very similar) they focus on treating people well, doing good work, living with integrity, etc.

Hmmm, those sound curiously similar to the core tenets of most world religions. 

So, as we ask our employees, our leaders, and ourselves to 'live the values' of our organizations in everything we do; are we also asking everyone to shut off their faith that implores us to 'live that faith in all we do' at the same time?

I'm no longer buying that premise. How does one pray each day, participate in the life of their faith community, and then walk into work and turn their back on all of that because "it's just business?"

That simply does not make any sense.

How About You
Will I now be preaching the gospel during team meetings? Of course not. 

But will I pretend that I don't have faith, or act as if I'm such a "good man of business" that faith and values don't really matter? Absolutely not.

What is your take? I know this is a complicated and important issue.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Invisible Boundaries

Balance.
Crossing the line.
Setting expectations.
Role clarity.

Boundaries.

Work/Life Boundaries at Work
Okay, I need to say right away...I struggle with this. In my mind, I need to be available, on-call, and ready to jump into the action at any moment. That's what leaders do, right? 

We're available!

We've decided to forgo a large part of our personal life for the greater good of the organization!

We're role models of leadership effectiveness!

Well, I do love being all of those things...but I'm learning that I don't love being all of those things, all the time.

Boundaries at Home
Where is the balance point between committed leader, and committed person outside of work?

Where is that fine line that separates "dedicated" from hurtful intrusion? 

Is there a sign I should be looking for; or, perhaps that sign comes in the form of a tangled plan that is influenced by our work?

There is no easy answer. One of the thrills of leadership, for me, is the action and drama and sudden intensity that requires a savvy response as the "world" is getting all worked up. But when that world is always worked up it can begin to negatively impact our personal lives.

That's not good...for us as people, or as leaders.

How About You
How do you find the 'life balance' that integrates all of your responsibilities? Where do you draw the lines that ensure you don't give too much of yourself away?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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We Shall Destroy - #Thinkathon 2014

Last week I had the privilege to attend the inaugural Thinkathon session in New York City hosted by the amazing team at purematter and IBM Social Business. Thirty of us were brought together from all walks of digital life to tackle the future of work. 

What does it look like? 
How will people work? 

What will the workplace...and workspace...look like?
What about loyalty?

What about full-time employment?
Will any work get done?

What about the younger-aged (and younger-minded!) workforce? Are they all self-serving work-life balance fanatics who don't appreciate 70 hour work weeks?

We were brought together to destroy the world of work as it exists today.

The Future is Cool...and Scary!
Our session kicked off with a fascinating (and haunting) message from Faith Popcorn, a prophetic futurist who is so accurate you'll want to follow her around and simply listen. 

Robots, genetic transformation, and the potential for more than one hundred million displaced workers got us all fired up to continue our mission!


Start Destroying!
The afternoon was then taken over by Hendre Coetzee, an absolutely brilliant facilitator and leader who guided our group of "world-of-work assassins" through a series of highly interactive and challenging sessions on what it will mean to work in the future.

We powered through five key drivers that will change how we work forever:
- the future of work talent
- the future of work culture
- the future of big data/analytics at work
- the future of technology at work
- the future of work collaboration/communication

Whoa! Heavy topics for a group of heavy-hitters!

By the way, when, not if, you seek out Hendre for guidance in your own organization you will not be disappointed. He is masterful at his craft.

How About You
The man that made this all possible was Bryan Kramer, CEO of purematter and the connection to the IBM Social Business team. Kudos to you Bryan and your amazing team for putting together an event that blew me away. (The following two days focused on IBM's #NewWayToWork campaign...more on that later!)

What are you doing to get out in front of the evolving world of work? Are you clinging to the status quo? Don't do it! The future is now! I'm fired up to hack the future of work in my organization! Who's ready to destroy with me?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.




thinkathon pic

Pick 'Em Up, Put 'Em Down

I seem to be moving faster than ever lately. I love to be challenged in my work, and it has not disappointed me. In periods like this I wonder what I'm missing...who am I missing...what projects are falling behind? So many questions, pressures, and sometimes...mistakes.

I hate that. I just get so busy picking my feet up and putting them down faster and faster that my productivity can actually decrease.
 
Remember to Breathe

Although it is incredibly difficult for me to justify in my mind, I need to force myself to slow down during my most hectic times. Clearing my desk, maxing out my task list, and then taking each project one at a time with a clear mind is, for me, the quickest path to success.

Once I get my piles of work organized, I can often burn through the emails, tasks, and at least make a decent dent in my projects. Maybe this all sounds too simple, but I regularly see desks piled so high with paper, binders, and printouts of email that I wonder how some people get anything accomplished. I secretly smile to myself knowing that at least I don't have it as bad as they do.

How About You

Have you considered how your team members perceive you when they see the chaos spread far and wide across your workspace? Does it matter? Maybe you're one of those rare souls who claim they "know where everything is" amongst the old email and Leadership Magazines from May 2010. I'm just not that guy.  How do you manage the tidal wave of work roaring through your life?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

photo credit

Far Beyond Driven

I've been reflecting on my style lately. Not my clothes, but rather how I approach my personal and professional lives. I've also been thinking a lot about balance. I used to call it work-life balance, but that doesn't really seem to apply anymore. Life balance is more appropriate for me. Work is demanding and requires a lot of time if its going to be done well. At least that's the way I see it.

Work Hard, Play Hard

When I run down the list of my responsibilities, projects, and deliverables at work I get fired up! Maybe I should behave more "professionally" but candidly if you're no longer feeling motivated at work it may be time for a change. I'm honestly in a situation where I have lots of irons-in-the-fire and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Personally I try to keep a stout pace as well. Between family commitments, blogging regularly, a passion for social media, a few speaking gigs and the never-ending battle to stay in shape, I fill my days fairly rapidly. Sometimes I wonder where the downtime is supposed to come from? Then I ask myself, is that what I really want? We all receive messages about slowing down and taking time to smell the proverbial flowers. Hey, I like flowers as much as the next guy, but quite honestly I don't want to slow down. Am I supposed to? Are you?

One Size Doesn't Fit All

I'm finally recognizing that I'm wired a certain way...and I'm not sure if its the right way or the wrong way...but it is who I am. This realization has helped me change my view of the employees in my organization. Should they all be the same? Should they all work and play the way I do? I hope not! I don't want a bunch of "Jays" running around here...I want the richness of difference to make my organization stronger. Plus I think I would go crazy if there were too many of "me" here.

How About You
Are you caught up in the societal messages of what you're supposed to be; or, have you decided to embrace who you are and abandon some false image that you should be striving toward? Its a difficult place to get to...at least it was for me. But once we let go of the pressure on ourselves, we can really see the huge potential through difference that is all around us.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



pic courtesy of work-hard-play-hard

Airplane Mode

I love it when the pace of my life is frantic. Up early, meetings all day, a flood of email, a crisis or two, social media throughout to stay current and share ideas, commuting time runs into hockey practices, kid’s homework, my workout, some family time and then bed. Wake up and go harder the next day. Love it.

However…even I realize that pace is not sustainable. Unfortunately, we all know people who refuse to take a proverbial time out and catch their breath. It’s a slippery slope disguised in words like commitment, work ethic, and “not enough hours in the day.” When we’re moving that fast mistakes happen, opportunities are missed, and speed can sometimes be an enemy.

Step Back and Evaluate

How have we allowed a non-stop focus on work to become the norm? Is that healthy? I don’t think so. When we never slow down we don’t give ourselves a chance to examine our own performance. Did we say the right things to our team? Do we need to apologize for an inadvertent comment? Do we need to offer praise that we’ve neglected to do? Taking the time to stop and reflect affords us the opportunity to answer these questions, and more importantly, to do something about them. When we never slow down these questions don’t even hit our radar screen.

“Every once in while we need to push away from the corporate trough and stop feeding on a schedule that only accepts work as an acceptable use of time.”

How About You

Do you find your self moving so fast that you can’t remember the last time you turned off your smart phone for a few hours and just spent time thinking? If so, it’s time to slow down and catch your breath. There will be plenty of time in the morning to come back harder and faster than ever.

I’d love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

pic courtesy of newconsultanthq

Finding My Priorities

Q4 is underway and along with it comes new performance targets, year-end pressure, and hopes for a strong 2012.  During times of transition it can be useful to take a look at ourselves before we jump into that monstrous task list and unrelenting ping of the Inbox.

Lucky and Happy?

I must admit I am lucky.  I love my job.  I have  a great group of people to work with, and my organization has one of the most important roles to play in society -> caring for sick and injured children.  But does that mean I love every part of my job?  Is that possible for anyone?  I don’t think so.  The reality is that even for those of us who truly are blessed with a good job, even to the point of feeling a bit guilty about it, it doesn’t mean we enjoy every aspect of that job.  And that’s okay…it’s what we do about it that is most important.

Love/Hate Relationship

We all have a long list of responsibilities, and with that an even longer list of issues that require our attention.  So what about those things that take a lot of time and energy but aren’t on our favorites list?  Have you identified what those items are?  Are you aware of the risks these particular issues pose to your leadership?  Avoiding the tasks that you...well...really dislike won’t serve you well or the people around you.

New Focus

It comes as no surprise that the world of work, and in particular leadership, is changing dramatically.  New employees have integrated technology, social media, and a heavy emphasis on work/life balance unlike any other generation.  For Managers that still cling to the “bootstraps” work ethic, the reality of the modern worker is a massive disappointment.  It’s not that expecting employees to work hard is an old fashioned idea; it’s just that how that idea is manifested in the world of work today is very different.  Does everyone really need to be in the office all day and night when email, calls, and updates can all be done from an iPhone?

Boring Comes First

Investing some time to consider what must be done that does not get you excited is worth it…as long as you take care of those issues first.  Hit them while you’re fresh and energized.  You’ll be more productive, and will be able to knock out those items faster than if you wait until you are worn out from a productive day and still have the “mundane list” looming.  I know I’m switching up my routine to follow this plan.

How About You

Do you ever take time to identify the boring stuff?  Or, is your Inbox calling so loudly that you never have time to consider what comes next?  It’s okay to take a breath once in a while, and then to prioritize specifically when you’re going to tackle the not-so-fun part of your job.  Get it done, and then get on with the new, exciting and challenging projects that are waiting!

I’d love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

pic courtesy of lovingthebike

Work/Life Balance...or Not

I'm on a vacation of sorts.  I'm away from the office until the middle of next week, but it doesn't completely feel that way.  I've already been on the phone, scheduled meetings, hammered through a bunch of emails, and texted back and forth with my team.  One might think I haven't really gotten away from it all yet.  


It Comes With the Territory
Now you could say that because I'm in a job that has a fair amount of responsibility it is just normal.  I am not a punch-the-clock type guy...nor do I want to be.  I've had the privilege of being in leadership positions for many years, and working while being away is not anything unique anymore...it's normal. It may be the same for you. What once seemed like an intrusion is now something I appreciate...the organization relies on me to come through regardless of where I happen to be at the time.  I like that.

My Employees Don't Have My Job

The potential problem with this  scenario is in my hands.  While I may be expected to be available 24/7, my employees are not.  They don't have my job, and they shouldn't feel as if they should be ready to jump in at a moment's notice.  I have to make sure I don't treat them as if they are at my beck and call.  They're not.  


How About You
Do you have a love/hate relationship with your scope of responsibility?  Being available doesn't mean you don't have balance in your life.  But it does mean you may have to redefine how you manage that balance.  What about your team?  Do you expect them to be available as much as you are?  How do you find that elusive balance?


I'd love to hear from you.


No Excuses.




pic courtesy of ceohomebusiness