Finding My (New) Voice

"The only way to find your voice is to use it." 

- Austin Kleon

Almost a full year into new ways of working, connecting, growing, experiencing... and living. All of the rules have changed, right? Or, maybe all of the rules are exactly the same, but we've decided to overreact and behave differently? 

Should I put forth more effort, or less effort, or the same effort? Are the ways in which we respect each other in the virtual workplace the same as when we all stared at each other across conference room tables?

Some of you are back in those conference rooms again...at least for part of your workweek.

Lots to think about. 

Impact

I spent many years trying to make an impact for the organizations I was privileged to work for, the employees that counted on me, and for the clients that trusted me to work with them.

That feels harder to do from my condo 24/7 instead of face-to-face.

I've found myself thinking about what drives my ability to be impactful. So much of that has been 'my voice.' I defined that almost as much by the energy I could show in the moment in addition to the actual words I chose. Both, for me, were the recipe for my success.

But now...I have to be present differently. My energy has to show in a small square on my laptop during a video meeting. My presentations at conferences are pre-recorded zoom sessions. (no more stage diving for a while.)

My words...in fact, my literal voice, is now more important than ever. My new voice.

Finding Something New

Like many of you, I've had to adjust so many things about how I engage with others: colleagues, clients, business partners. My new voice has to make up for all of that energy that can't be seen in that small onscreen square. (although I still try like crazy to let that energy shine through, somehow.)

My new voice. It's taken me a while to get comfortable with it. It still sounds like the old me, but it feels as if I've transitioned to a new way of doing things. 

The upside of all of this introspection and self-analysis is a massive surge of excitement about all things being new. New ways to connect, inspire, motivate, cajole, joke, impress, stumble, learn, and grow.

I'm up for all of it!

How About You

Where is your voice in 2021? Am I the only one who noticed a change in myself; or, do we share a similar experience of finding our voice all over again?

Stay safe.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Where Do We Go From Here

I let a milestone slip by quietly a month or so ago. It was the tenth anniversary of this blog (900 posts strong.) I know, not a big deal in the grand scheme of things. The world has gone absolutely crazy...pandemics have become politicized...and the United States is sadly divided to extremes.

Back to that milestone. I decided to step back from writing for a while. My last two posts about Black Lives Matter and Seeing Color seemed a fitting set of messages that represent how I feel. It didn't seem right to jump back into "the 3 best actions to take to be the leader of the year" type of posts.

Something felt different, and quite honestly I didn't want to say anything more, about any topic, at the time.

Now Things are Different

Historic change has since occurred. The impact on employers, regardless of your political leanings, will be dramatic at the very least. And, the need for leadership that does not include fake news, hoaxes, or outright lies is more important than ever.

Will we get that type of leadership from Washington? I highly doubt it. It's rarely been there before, and the last few years have shown that it has all but evaporated.

So, where do we go from here?

There are of course, several options to fill the massive leadership void. 

Families are a very important part of our communities, and hopefully create a safe place to share our fears, opinions, and outlook going forward.

Our faith also plays a massively important role, for those that have a faith perspective. For me, it brings a level of awareness, teaching, support, guidance, a
strong community, and bigger picture view that rises above the politicization of society.

A third group, and one I feel needs to play an ever more critical role is that of the employer. Providing information, sharing resources and creating opportunities for employees to have real dialogue, and ensure that open lines of communication are well utilized and understood by everyone is more important than ever before.

How About You

It's been ten years since I started my blogging journey. Candidly, if we ever needed leadership that held itself accountable, it is right now. Let's move forward with a fresh spirit of opportunity, excitement about the future, and support for one another. We're all going to need it, right?

I'd love to hear from you.

No excuses.

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I See Color

I see color.

I see the beautiful shades of humanity.

I see the differences between you and me.

I see the unique perspective that you have...

...and that I don't.

I see the insight you bring to the discussion.

I see the passion you feel.

I see the pain that is there below the surface...

...and is sometimes above.

I see the creative solutions you have to offer.

I see my blindness to those ideas...from time to time.

I see the need to rasie awareness with my words and actions...

...even if I feel stuck at times about how to do it best.

Most of all, I see you. All of you.

What do you see?

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Listen. Learn. Do.

Black Lives Matter.

It is not a slogan or bandwagon issue. It is something we need to embrace, respect, and acknowledge as part of the momentum necessary to move our country forward on one of the most challenging topics: racism.

It saddens, frustrates and candidly angers us all because racial equality should not even be a topic for discussion, let alone one mired in senseless murders, violence, and bigotry. Yet, here we are in 2020.

George Floyd.

A victim of a senseless police murder. Mr. Floyd joins the ranks of many others who have befallen the same fate. How is this possible? Why is this still happening?

Perhaps you have felt the same anger, frustration and hopelessness too? Watching the peaceful protests with a sense of pride, a hallmark of our nation’s history, and then sadly seeing some violence erupt from those protests suddenly makes us frustrated again.

Maybe you are wondering what you can do…what can your organization do…to make a positive impact in what feels like an impossible situation?

Three Steps

Today I would like to offer three steps that I believe will help us support each other, learn more about these complex issues, and offer a variety of actions each of us can take in our respective communities.

LISTENING – We need to start inside our organizations. We need to take the risk and open up with each other…share our feelings…even if we aren’t entirely sure what we are feeling right now. Perhaps now is the time for you to step up and lead the internal effort to create forums for discussion, sharing, and support for every employee?

LEARNING – Next we need to educate ourselves on what is happening. Invest some time and explore various websites dedicated to this issue. Talk with your colleagues, friends and clergy about resources in your community, and most importantly take the time to better understand the different perspectives apart from traditional news media.

www.blacklivesmatter.com – the flagship site for this movement

www.naacp.org – one of the longtime voices for the African American community

www.charitynavigator.org – a premier charity tracking organization that will help you find well respected organizations for you to consider donating to or learning more about

DOING – Expressing our collective anger is simply not enough. As we listen and learn we are naturally more confident to take action. Doing something is what matters most. Consider supporting a peaceful protest, reaching out to local organizations in your community, or even getting involved on a broader scale.

How About You

I know it is not easy to speak up, learn about sensitive topics, or take action. We might not get it right every time; however, that doesn’t mean we shouldn't keep pushing ourselves forward.

As you consider your role, reach out and let me know what you're thinking. Communicating with each other is more important than ever.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Share Your WFH Hacks

Long before all the current WFH craze hit the world, my company was 100% virtual. Our transition to all of the suddenly trendy advice around workspaces, clutter removal, shower (or not) before work, etc, seemed a bit dated for us.

I'm not bragging here, just commenting that we had already gone through that phase years ago. Turns out, you actually figure out what works best for you, regardless of all the "expert" advice floating around the web.

So, what I would like to hear, from veterans and rookies alike to the work from home scene, is what works best for you?

There is no right way or wrong way to work outside of the traditional office setting. Candidly it comes down to getting our work done, right? 

Who cares if my workspace is messy or impeccable? Do I need perfect lighting and a fresh shave in order to crush that zoom call? 

Let's have a little fun in the world of massive speculation about...you know it's coming...the NEW NORMAL! 

Ouch! Let's drop that phrase as quickly as we can. Okay?

Drop me a note, RT a pic of your setup, or add a comment or two in whatever platform you're reading this in.

Stay safe friends! 

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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A Greatness Undone

...faith and work and charity and healthy eating and being productive and working out and caring for everyone and reading and listening and learning and growing and mentoring and leading and pushing and resting and balancing and reaching out and always being there...

Do you sometimes feel as if you've lost your greatness? As I think about all of the things I tell myself that I'm supposed to be and do and think...I wonder if mine has slipped away?

You see, we all have our own kind of greatness. It's in there. Most of time it's on display and we don't even know it.

Lately, though. Well...you know. The world changed up its cadence pretty quickly, and now we have to adjust.

So.

Adjust.

No, we don't have any rules on how to adjust the right way. We don't need them. We don't have a playbook on what is proper and what isn't. We don't need one.

We just need to remember our greatness...

...and show it.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Checking On You

Okay, I think we've had just about enough of this whole stay-at-home lifestyle, right? Anyone else ready to go to a restaurant, attend a playoff game, or get to a concert? Holy cow...I am READY!

Except, for that whole deadly virus thing that seems to be hanging around. 

So, if you need to let off some steam, talk through anything, or simply brainstorm your latest idea of the century, let's set up some time to talk. 

As an extrovert, I have to admit that I love video chats. I need to see people!

Let's do it!

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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