It's likely that we'll be embarking on vacation Friday mid-morning between 10 and noon. About 9 hours later, we'll pull in here for the evening:
Wingate by Wyndham - Charleston
402 2nd Ave Sw
Charleston, WV 25303
Then we'll bolt another 10 hours toward the coast early the next morning.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
High/Low, Week 20 2010
The week's low point came when a resident of the condo association came to me with a complaint. For years, a spruce tree outside our bedroom window obstructed the view of the pool. This became a minor nuisance when trying to provide "neighborhood watch" services in monitoring proper use of pool rules. Since additionally I know these types of trees grow to broad sizes and would eventually threaten the sidewalks, etc. I suggested at the last Board meeting that we remove it. The motion passed, the deed was done, and an 18-year resident felt like "a part of her had died." What was especially unsettling about it is that I violated one of my central principles of leadership - hasty decisions without getting input from those affected. This realization was a divine slap in the face, reminding me how I'd wasted some brain cells earlier in the day mentally condemning department management for orchestrating a physical desk move that affected my co-workers without talking to me about it first. What's that proverb about pointing out the speck in my neighbor's eye while ignoring the plank in my own?
The high point was just as easy to identify. I came into work and spied a card on my desk. I thought it was a belated birthday card from a co-worker, but it turned out to be a handwritten message of heartfelt thanks from the family of someone on the team. What an unexpected affirmation! The week was as exciting as I'd anticipated at work. Tyson's happily off to his new job, Emily and Paulette are already making solid progress as department newbies.
We won a soccer game! The cause seemed hopeless a few weeks ago. Then in this game, with 90 degree temperatures and starting the game shorthanded, we scored twice. I felt especially satisfied because I sort of invented a "defensive midfield" position and shadowed the other team's best scorer. Defense was always my greatest strength in sports, and not only did I feel energized the whole game and needed little rest, but I could sense their offense becoming demoralized as I made a series of plays that stalled most every attack. Plus from that vantage point I was able to "captain" those ahead of me, calling out to them to match up with opponents so that no one slipped behind our coverage.
The high point was just as easy to identify. I came into work and spied a card on my desk. I thought it was a belated birthday card from a co-worker, but it turned out to be a handwritten message of heartfelt thanks from the family of someone on the team. What an unexpected affirmation! The week was as exciting as I'd anticipated at work. Tyson's happily off to his new job, Emily and Paulette are already making solid progress as department newbies.
We won a soccer game! The cause seemed hopeless a few weeks ago. Then in this game, with 90 degree temperatures and starting the game shorthanded, we scored twice. I felt especially satisfied because I sort of invented a "defensive midfield" position and shadowed the other team's best scorer. Defense was always my greatest strength in sports, and not only did I feel energized the whole game and needed little rest, but I could sense their offense becoming demoralized as I made a series of plays that stalled most every attack. Plus from that vantage point I was able to "captain" those ahead of me, calling out to them to match up with opponents so that no one slipped behind our coverage.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Action!
Three more questions:
Q: How do you go about getting things done?
A: In my personal life, the little matters are like the tide. I go through listless spells where the simplest tasks like taking out the garbage or paying a bill are beyond my interest/energy level. And I know that eventually, often late at night but at various times throughout the day, I get a surge of energy and knock out a ton of tasks with ease. At work, my process is roughly like this: (1) draft a vision of the final product in my mind, (2) determine the needed players for the team, (3) share and modify the original vision with the team to form and execute the plan, (4) document the results for maintenance's sake, (5) say thank you profusely.
Q: What is the first thing you do when you want to convince somebody to go in a direction you want to take?
A: I explain my tentative vision, and ask their input. It works because (1) most times, that input is at least partially used because I'm imperfect, and (2) it shares ownership with the teammate.
Q: How do you solve problems?
A: I'm interpreting this to mean objective problems, rather than interpersonal ones. The most successful approach I've found is (1) listen sincerely to the issue and the suggestion, restating them for clarity and to demonstrate sincerity, (2) seek & validate the good in the suggestion... most every idea is valid in some way, (3) if for some reason the suggestion is not used, explain why, (4) brainstorm alternatives.
Q: How do you go about getting things done?
A: In my personal life, the little matters are like the tide. I go through listless spells where the simplest tasks like taking out the garbage or paying a bill are beyond my interest/energy level. And I know that eventually, often late at night but at various times throughout the day, I get a surge of energy and knock out a ton of tasks with ease. At work, my process is roughly like this: (1) draft a vision of the final product in my mind, (2) determine the needed players for the team, (3) share and modify the original vision with the team to form and execute the plan, (4) document the results for maintenance's sake, (5) say thank you profusely.
Q: What is the first thing you do when you want to convince somebody to go in a direction you want to take?
A: I explain my tentative vision, and ask their input. It works because (1) most times, that input is at least partially used because I'm imperfect, and (2) it shares ownership with the teammate.
Q: How do you solve problems?
A: I'm interpreting this to mean objective problems, rather than interpersonal ones. The most successful approach I've found is (1) listen sincerely to the issue and the suggestion, restating them for clarity and to demonstrate sincerity, (2) seek & validate the good in the suggestion... most every idea is valid in some way, (3) if for some reason the suggestion is not used, explain why, (4) brainstorm alternatives.
"Hard" Questions
Three more questions from the survey:
Q: If you have a difficult decision to make, how many people do you discuss it with?
A: Usually 2-5 people. When interviewing job candidates, I prefer three to be on the team, which provides a minimum level of perspective and an odd number to break ties (which has been helpful more than once!). When deciding whether or not to enter seminary, it was closer to five - Dena, a couple pastors, some close friends. When deciding whether to go to a hockey game or go on a date, my roommate set me straight.
Q: Are you hard on yourself when things go wrong?
A: Yes, though I think I'm recovering. Mistakes used to haunt me for months. What's the point? I'm human, did my best. Mistakes are learning opportunities. Lately they might hang around for a day or five, but that's about it. And when the recordings do strike, I'm quicker about hitting the stop button.
Q: How hard is it for you to assert yourself in a difficult situation?
A: Probably about a 6 or 7 on a scale where 10 is "impossible." In good part it's because I believe in most situations that there are many right ways to go, and none that is clearly best. The other's a physical hang-up... a bit of angry tremble in the voice, and a lack of agility in debating on the fly.
Thankfully I've been blessed with very, very few hard situations!
Q: If you have a difficult decision to make, how many people do you discuss it with?
A: Usually 2-5 people. When interviewing job candidates, I prefer three to be on the team, which provides a minimum level of perspective and an odd number to break ties (which has been helpful more than once!). When deciding whether or not to enter seminary, it was closer to five - Dena, a couple pastors, some close friends. When deciding whether to go to a hockey game or go on a date, my roommate set me straight.
Q: Are you hard on yourself when things go wrong?
A: Yes, though I think I'm recovering. Mistakes used to haunt me for months. What's the point? I'm human, did my best. Mistakes are learning opportunities. Lately they might hang around for a day or five, but that's about it. And when the recordings do strike, I'm quicker about hitting the stop button.
Q: How hard is it for you to assert yourself in a difficult situation?
A: Probably about a 6 or 7 on a scale where 10 is "impossible." In good part it's because I believe in most situations that there are many right ways to go, and none that is clearly best. The other's a physical hang-up... a bit of angry tremble in the voice, and a lack of agility in debating on the fly.
Thankfully I've been blessed with very, very few hard situations!
Monday, May 24, 2010
Surprising Motivation
Cheers for Paulette, my newest co-worker who shared this bit of interesting research! Eleven minutes, but animated like those UPS commercials so it's captivating.
http://www.wimp.com/surprisingmotivation
http://www.wimp.com/surprisingmotivation
Take This Job And Mull It
I came across a series of 35 questions in the book "Succeed On Your Own Terms," designed to provoke thought on where we want our lives to lead. The first three questions had to do with work.
Q: What do you enjoy most about your current job?
A: Any opportunity to teach, mentor or plan is right up my alley. The blessing of actuarial work is that enough aspects of it are complex that there are plenty of chances to explain things in layman's terms. Get me in front of a room and I'll be fired up to teach about our products. I love using 1-on-1 weekly meetings with my direct reports to gauge where our projects are, where they're going, and to dream a bit.
Q: If you could change one thing about your job, what would it be?
A: I thought long and hard about this one! Quite a few scenarios popped in that were so unlikely as to be a waste of time. After about an hour of meditation in fits and starts, I settled on: I'd take one more actuarial employee (or "student"). As long as the workload didn't increase, I've got a plan all drawn out as to how the responsibilities would be divided. I could get out from under much of the entry-level work that falls to me when my only student is swamped. Frankly, I think that the job Tyson's been managing is head and shoulders above what I faced as a third-year employee. He handled it gamely but actuarial training is too precious to risk burning one out.
Q: A year from now, how will you know if you're succeeding in your current job?
A: Honestly, as long as the compliments are creaming the criticisms, that customer satisfaction is worth more at this stage of my career than any raise. I'm not so foolish as to believe that my talent stands out in a department of stars, but I would be pleased if people remembered me as a person they wanted to have on their team.
Q: What do you enjoy most about your current job?
A: Any opportunity to teach, mentor or plan is right up my alley. The blessing of actuarial work is that enough aspects of it are complex that there are plenty of chances to explain things in layman's terms. Get me in front of a room and I'll be fired up to teach about our products. I love using 1-on-1 weekly meetings with my direct reports to gauge where our projects are, where they're going, and to dream a bit.
Q: If you could change one thing about your job, what would it be?
A: I thought long and hard about this one! Quite a few scenarios popped in that were so unlikely as to be a waste of time. After about an hour of meditation in fits and starts, I settled on: I'd take one more actuarial employee (or "student"). As long as the workload didn't increase, I've got a plan all drawn out as to how the responsibilities would be divided. I could get out from under much of the entry-level work that falls to me when my only student is swamped. Frankly, I think that the job Tyson's been managing is head and shoulders above what I faced as a third-year employee. He handled it gamely but actuarial training is too precious to risk burning one out.
Q: A year from now, how will you know if you're succeeding in your current job?
A: Honestly, as long as the compliments are creaming the criticisms, that customer satisfaction is worth more at this stage of my career than any raise. I'm not so foolish as to believe that my talent stands out in a department of stars, but I would be pleased if people remembered me as a person they wanted to have on their team.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
High/Low, Weeks 17-19 2010
All right, it's a cheap way to keep up with the "weekly" post resolution. Fortunately the handy black calendar (so thick that it inspired a Christian basketball father to praise me for carrying a Bible at practice... how could I let him down?) reminds me of several things worth mentioning.
In fact, the skipping of a couple weeks' worth of these posts is a symptom of a restlessness, a distraction from the focus on the peaceful practices that keep me headed in the right direction. I was almost a month late in depositing condominium fee checks for the association. I erupted defensively at a business meeting when I could have stated things much more professionally. My sleep patterns have been up and down. I think this week I'm going to commit to the Muslim-like practice of giving thanks at sunrise, midmorning, noon, midafternoon, and sunset, to rehearse the peaceful smile that I carry at the office when I'm at my best. Fortunately, life at home has been dandy. Does that say something about my job, or that I need to jump start my attitude?
Spending a weekend at Mom's was great one-on-one time with her that's happened infrequently. Naturally it's just as well that Dena's always with me when I'm there, but I tend to defer to the two of them when the three of us are there together. We were able to open up and reminisce about things and enjoy a delightful pre-birthday dinner. And blessed news came when a couple of mysterious spots on a medical exam came back clear for her.
We've entered the month I call Heaven, that stretch between my birthday and the first day of summer when the days get longer and warmer. I knocked off another three books and got enough material to last another month worth of posts, if I chose to play it that way.
The laptop is officially wireless now! Next is to test it in a public place. I wonder if the house in North Carolina has wi-fi? I've got a feeling that for the first time in four tries I'll be able to Hidden Blog from the coast! I'm also optimistic about the chances of maintaining some strength training while we're there, instead of letting muscles atrophy for a week after saying faithful for the last year.
And as covered earlier, the unexpected birthday recognition was the highlight of the month so far.
I'm honored that two different department employees requested me as a mentor this year. Mentoring in all its forms, whether teaching or coaching, is one of the favorite aspects of my job. A couple weeks ago I was able to bounce some ideas off of one of them, and got some useful feedback.
These weeks have been exciting with change. New employee Paulette started last week; this is Tyson's last week; it's the summer intern's first week. And it can be a week of renewal for me too, as long as I bring a burst of enthusiasm to the hours when inertia threatens to slow me down. Let's see what's fulfilled by week's end!
In fact, the skipping of a couple weeks' worth of these posts is a symptom of a restlessness, a distraction from the focus on the peaceful practices that keep me headed in the right direction. I was almost a month late in depositing condominium fee checks for the association. I erupted defensively at a business meeting when I could have stated things much more professionally. My sleep patterns have been up and down. I think this week I'm going to commit to the Muslim-like practice of giving thanks at sunrise, midmorning, noon, midafternoon, and sunset, to rehearse the peaceful smile that I carry at the office when I'm at my best. Fortunately, life at home has been dandy. Does that say something about my job, or that I need to jump start my attitude?
Spending a weekend at Mom's was great one-on-one time with her that's happened infrequently. Naturally it's just as well that Dena's always with me when I'm there, but I tend to defer to the two of them when the three of us are there together. We were able to open up and reminisce about things and enjoy a delightful pre-birthday dinner. And blessed news came when a couple of mysterious spots on a medical exam came back clear for her.
We've entered the month I call Heaven, that stretch between my birthday and the first day of summer when the days get longer and warmer. I knocked off another three books and got enough material to last another month worth of posts, if I chose to play it that way.
The laptop is officially wireless now! Next is to test it in a public place. I wonder if the house in North Carolina has wi-fi? I've got a feeling that for the first time in four tries I'll be able to Hidden Blog from the coast! I'm also optimistic about the chances of maintaining some strength training while we're there, instead of letting muscles atrophy for a week after saying faithful for the last year.
And as covered earlier, the unexpected birthday recognition was the highlight of the month so far.
I'm honored that two different department employees requested me as a mentor this year. Mentoring in all its forms, whether teaching or coaching, is one of the favorite aspects of my job. A couple weeks ago I was able to bounce some ideas off of one of them, and got some useful feedback.
These weeks have been exciting with change. New employee Paulette started last week; this is Tyson's last week; it's the summer intern's first week. And it can be a week of renewal for me too, as long as I bring a burst of enthusiasm to the hours when inertia threatens to slow me down. Let's see what's fulfilled by week's end!
Open For Growth
"We've found that individuals who can keep growing share two distinct qualities: they are open to new experiences. And they are also open to learning more about themselves." - Herb Greenberg
I'm in the market for a new experience. Helping to coach basketball summer camp will be one - sort of, as my first from the coach's perspective. I still have the resolution to make ten new acquaintances this year, and have to put more brain power behind that. The Young Professionals Kiwanis Club has my attention, I hear that they are having some socials and it would be good to find a group of people with that kind of interest.
Book clubs are another outlet I've enjoyed before. The Chamber of Commerce offers some, perhaps there are others around.
As far as self-learning, I wouldn't have said years ago that I'm better as a second-in-command than as a leader. The last decade has proved that to be the case. I've taken on a half-dozen true entrepreneurial-style roles, like launching new member orientation formats in the church, or presiding over a newly formed Honors Alumni Network at ISU. The reality is that I have about a three-year itch that sets in, and shorter depending on the level of adversity that crops up. Meanwhile, roles like condominium board treasurer, where I'm a valued consultant with vision and well-defined responsibilities, have been long-term and fulfilling experiences away from the demands of the presidential position. I remember a pastor friend encouraging me into ministry as an associate pastor, selling what a great team we'd make. I didn't fancy myself as the "associate" type then... now I do. I'm assistant-coach caliber who pores over game film to develop strategy, then gladly cedes to the head coach. I suppose that's what helps in my management job at State Farm - knowing that my talent level depends heavily on the contributions of everyone else in order for the best decisions to be made, since I'm not the kind of guy who has all the answers the way an executive might.
I'm in the market for a new experience. Helping to coach basketball summer camp will be one - sort of, as my first from the coach's perspective. I still have the resolution to make ten new acquaintances this year, and have to put more brain power behind that. The Young Professionals Kiwanis Club has my attention, I hear that they are having some socials and it would be good to find a group of people with that kind of interest.
Book clubs are another outlet I've enjoyed before. The Chamber of Commerce offers some, perhaps there are others around.
As far as self-learning, I wouldn't have said years ago that I'm better as a second-in-command than as a leader. The last decade has proved that to be the case. I've taken on a half-dozen true entrepreneurial-style roles, like launching new member orientation formats in the church, or presiding over a newly formed Honors Alumni Network at ISU. The reality is that I have about a three-year itch that sets in, and shorter depending on the level of adversity that crops up. Meanwhile, roles like condominium board treasurer, where I'm a valued consultant with vision and well-defined responsibilities, have been long-term and fulfilling experiences away from the demands of the presidential position. I remember a pastor friend encouraging me into ministry as an associate pastor, selling what a great team we'd make. I didn't fancy myself as the "associate" type then... now I do. I'm assistant-coach caliber who pores over game film to develop strategy, then gladly cedes to the head coach. I suppose that's what helps in my management job at State Farm - knowing that my talent level depends heavily on the contributions of everyone else in order for the best decisions to be made, since I'm not the kind of guy who has all the answers the way an executive might.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Finding The Niche
Advice to entrepreneurs:
"Identify a niche that plays to their strengths and is distinct from that of everyone else in the marketplace. Then own that. Bring everything you have to bear on that single point." - David Oreck, vacuum cleaner magnate
I spend much time thinking about a niche that I could fill in a second career. Maybe... it's offering special tutoring and ACT/SAT prep sessions for math. It's an educationally-intense community awash enough with money that every kid on the block's got mobile internet access. Almost everyone hates math, and most parents I know would give their left arm if they thought it would help the children keep up with the crowd... so a couple hundred bucks could be worth it to them.
Who are the worst math teachers in the local schools? Right there is an unmet need, a niche market of 30-60 kids whose parents could use a crutch. Who knows, maybe I could get wind of the kind of tests they offer and specialize in helping students pass those classes. I've heard too many sad stories of people who were decent at math until they ran into a meat grinder of a teacher and got completely derailed. Could a fallback plan have spared them?
The best per-hour job I've ever had, current one included, was when I subbed in a Saturday ACT prep class and pulled in nearly $100/hour.
And thankfully, I'm blessed with the teaching gift as measured in a couple of different ways. First of all, it's the kind of work I can lose myself in for hours. A friend's daughter would send me her toughest math questions via e-mail, and it's a motivating personal challenge to deliver the right answer and the simplest explanation for the result. Secondly, my work as an undergraduate teaching assistant drew top marks. And finally, I enjoy presenting. My experience with supervising and coaching would equip me for disciplinary issues. Having tutored learning disabled students, I know I've got the patience to succeed in most any one-on-one setting.
I look back on the good and unexplainable fortune that's shone upon my actuarial career and wonder if it's God's way of setting us up financially so that my more successful calling can become reality, whatever that may be.
"Identify a niche that plays to their strengths and is distinct from that of everyone else in the marketplace. Then own that. Bring everything you have to bear on that single point." - David Oreck, vacuum cleaner magnate
I spend much time thinking about a niche that I could fill in a second career. Maybe... it's offering special tutoring and ACT/SAT prep sessions for math. It's an educationally-intense community awash enough with money that every kid on the block's got mobile internet access. Almost everyone hates math, and most parents I know would give their left arm if they thought it would help the children keep up with the crowd... so a couple hundred bucks could be worth it to them.
Who are the worst math teachers in the local schools? Right there is an unmet need, a niche market of 30-60 kids whose parents could use a crutch. Who knows, maybe I could get wind of the kind of tests they offer and specialize in helping students pass those classes. I've heard too many sad stories of people who were decent at math until they ran into a meat grinder of a teacher and got completely derailed. Could a fallback plan have spared them?
The best per-hour job I've ever had, current one included, was when I subbed in a Saturday ACT prep class and pulled in nearly $100/hour.
And thankfully, I'm blessed with the teaching gift as measured in a couple of different ways. First of all, it's the kind of work I can lose myself in for hours. A friend's daughter would send me her toughest math questions via e-mail, and it's a motivating personal challenge to deliver the right answer and the simplest explanation for the result. Secondly, my work as an undergraduate teaching assistant drew top marks. And finally, I enjoy presenting. My experience with supervising and coaching would equip me for disciplinary issues. Having tutored learning disabled students, I know I've got the patience to succeed in most any one-on-one setting.
I look back on the good and unexplainable fortune that's shone upon my actuarial career and wonder if it's God's way of setting us up financially so that my more successful calling can become reality, whatever that may be.
OBX Musings
Two weeks from now we'll be at the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Thankfully, Dena's mom is progressing well from her replaced broken hip so she should still be able to have a good time. Meanwhile, some research remains. This year I may shake it up a bit and find some new places on the island that aren't shopping centers (read: Ocracoke Island).
Shout out to the fam: What's the address of our beach house?
Interesting stuff to look at:
Frisco Native American Museum
Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum
Quiet reading room:
Outer Banks History Center
Fitness center:
Spa Koru
Shout out to the fam: What's the address of our beach house?
Interesting stuff to look at:
Frisco Native American Museum
Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum
Quiet reading room:
Outer Banks History Center
Fitness center:
Spa Koru
Friday, May 21, 2010
The Word Of God
"I just believe this is how God speaks to us when he needs to. He uses someone you are familiar with and a voice you know. We don't know what God looks like, so he comes to us in a form we will recognize and tells us what we need to hear." - Geoffrey Bodine, NASCAR driver and Indianapolis 500 winner
"Word of God" means different things to different people, and Bodine lays out the way I've thought for some time. My beliefs are more rooted in the present than the distant past or future, and while following the voices of those around me has occasionally brought some hard lessons brought on by my own faults, I nonetheless consider those to be part of God's great plan of growth for me along the way to a purpose that he alone knows and for which I'm grateful.
"Word of God" means different things to different people, and Bodine lays out the way I've thought for some time. My beliefs are more rooted in the present than the distant past or future, and while following the voices of those around me has occasionally brought some hard lessons brought on by my own faults, I nonetheless consider those to be part of God's great plan of growth for me along the way to a purpose that he alone knows and for which I'm grateful.
Gotta Support The Team
"But for me, the key to developing a successful organization is all about team building. It's all about the people you surround yourself with. Succeeding in business, in sports, in your life, is a matter of pulling together people you can trust, who are honest, who have their priorities in line, who have the talent, ambition, and desire to reach beyond themselves and make something really big happen - particularly when the pressure's on." - Roger Staubach, Hall of Fame quarterback
In my experience team building takes a while - trust always does, at the foundation - and that fully-functioning family dynamic is a gradual development that comes with spending time together in an upbeat way. Recently the team at work has been especially successful. I merely inherited the kind of people Staubach describes, but the progress in terms of productivity, efficiency, and morale has been remarkable. My role is to water it with encouragement, thankfulness and good humor, to nourish it with vision, to weed it when necessary, and otherwise watch it flourish!
In my experience team building takes a while - trust always does, at the foundation - and that fully-functioning family dynamic is a gradual development that comes with spending time together in an upbeat way. Recently the team at work has been especially successful. I merely inherited the kind of people Staubach describes, but the progress in terms of productivity, efficiency, and morale has been remarkable. My role is to water it with encouragement, thankfulness and good humor, to nourish it with vision, to weed it when necessary, and otherwise watch it flourish!
The Noble Beating
"With every blow I received, I understood a little better that pain and suffering do not necessarily degrade or embitter you, that they can also energize, empower and even ennoble." - Samuel Pisar, survivor of multiple Holocaust concentration camps
No experience of mine can compare remotely to Samuel's plight... it's well enough to note that when we're beaten, we can curl up, or rebound vigorously to inspire ourselves and others.
No experience of mine can compare remotely to Samuel's plight... it's well enough to note that when we're beaten, we can curl up, or rebound vigorously to inspire ourselves and others.
Risk Takers
"In all of our studies of successful people, the willingness to take risks is universal. The reason is that if people were not willing to take risks, going out into the unknown, they would never succeed on their own terms." - Herb Greenberg
I'm excited for my men Tyson and Rich who are taking the plunge into new career paths at the Farm. Brandi willed her way into multiple leadership opportunities, not to mention a temporary leap of faith from the Farm into the world of pharmaceutical sales. Dena continues to strike out on her own in the graphic design business. Jane left the Farm to help launch a family business. Jack bolted for the sunny shores of California to be closer to his movie-writing dream. And Dona launches a new educational adventure just about every year. Yet more evidence that life is brighter when you're surrounded by the right kind of people and can call them friends.
I'm excited for my men Tyson and Rich who are taking the plunge into new career paths at the Farm. Brandi willed her way into multiple leadership opportunities, not to mention a temporary leap of faith from the Farm into the world of pharmaceutical sales. Dena continues to strike out on her own in the graphic design business. Jane left the Farm to help launch a family business. Jack bolted for the sunny shores of California to be closer to his movie-writing dream. And Dona launches a new educational adventure just about every year. Yet more evidence that life is brighter when you're surrounded by the right kind of people and can call them friends.
One For The Ages
A year ago my own birthday nearly skipped by me without even realizing it. Up at Mom's on my own while she recuperated in the hospital from surgery, I got a couple of late wishes from people before the midnight hour (fair enough, since my birth time was about 9 at night).
This year was the opposite!
8:00: Got to work just in time to run a staff meeting. Someone figured out it was my birthday, and led the room in "Happy Birthday" song. It had probably been twenty years since I got a birthday serenade.
9:30: E-mail check. My Life Tax friend Lisa Holland sent an e-card! Voice mail check. Leadership McLean County (LMC) friend Brandi Peterson left a singing birthday wish... geez now twice in two hours.
10:00: 1-on-1 weekly meeting with my boss. He brings in the ceremonial birthday rose and card. Ten minutes later... thirty people congregate outside my office door and lead me out for another round of singing. Make it three times!
3:00: Clean bill of health from the dentist!
4:30: E-mail check at home. Whoa... thirty birthday notes on Facebook! What was really cool was the mixture of fondest memories it brought back in a "This Is Your Life" sort of way:
Boyhood pal: Matt West
Grade school: Ron Dukes, Laura Monaco, Lynn Obenza, Jeff Dolle, Rebecca Sparks, Krystina Paraiso, Chelsea Tolentino
High school: Tamara Lukes, Cathy Kmet, Heather Holtz, Heather Husch
ISU Student Alumni Council: Jennifer Knight, Laura Toncray, Nicole Gladish, Julie Goodlick, Rhonda Ossola
ISU Walker Hall/Honors: Amy Scott, Marianne Kaleta, Jen Burke, Tammy Counts, Chris Lundeen, Michelle Cornelius, Becky Mentzer, Jen Gresens
State Farm: Tyson Mohr, Melissa Henrikson, Rhonda Brackman
LMC: Heather Young, Matt Giordano, Melanie Ellsworth, Debbie McMahon, Angie Scott, Kirt McReynolds, Scott Arnold, Joann Schuster, Sue Necessary, Denise Eyre
The band: Austin Kern, Julie Legner
Calvary UMC: Willis Kern, Rob Stogsdill, Susan Hoss
The fam and extended fam: Dena, Dona, Jack, Jane, Ann, Rosann, Staley
The list hardly does justice to the strength of the happy times that most of these people gave me. It's a who's who list of funny, caring, loyal, talented, trustworthy people. There are a hundred blogworthy memories (hmmm...) that bring the smiles rushing back. Many of them, perhaps without knowing it, have helped me become a slightly better person by modeling an aspect of character that I admire and have tried to make my own.
Life passes by quickly enough that those golden moments wash away too easily. How lucky I am to have gotten this tidal wave of a gift! It not only reminds me of the healing, comforting and reinforcing value of those friendships past and present, but the importance of getting out of the house and continuing to jump into new ones going forward. God willing, there will be many more years to put that into practice!
This year was the opposite!
8:00: Got to work just in time to run a staff meeting. Someone figured out it was my birthday, and led the room in "Happy Birthday" song. It had probably been twenty years since I got a birthday serenade.
9:30: E-mail check. My Life Tax friend Lisa Holland sent an e-card! Voice mail check. Leadership McLean County (LMC) friend Brandi Peterson left a singing birthday wish... geez now twice in two hours.
10:00: 1-on-1 weekly meeting with my boss. He brings in the ceremonial birthday rose and card. Ten minutes later... thirty people congregate outside my office door and lead me out for another round of singing. Make it three times!
3:00: Clean bill of health from the dentist!
4:30: E-mail check at home. Whoa... thirty birthday notes on Facebook! What was really cool was the mixture of fondest memories it brought back in a "This Is Your Life" sort of way:
Boyhood pal: Matt West
Grade school: Ron Dukes, Laura Monaco, Lynn Obenza, Jeff Dolle, Rebecca Sparks, Krystina Paraiso, Chelsea Tolentino
High school: Tamara Lukes, Cathy Kmet, Heather Holtz, Heather Husch
ISU Student Alumni Council: Jennifer Knight, Laura Toncray, Nicole Gladish, Julie Goodlick, Rhonda Ossola
ISU Walker Hall/Honors: Amy Scott, Marianne Kaleta, Jen Burke, Tammy Counts, Chris Lundeen, Michelle Cornelius, Becky Mentzer, Jen Gresens
State Farm: Tyson Mohr, Melissa Henrikson, Rhonda Brackman
LMC: Heather Young, Matt Giordano, Melanie Ellsworth, Debbie McMahon, Angie Scott, Kirt McReynolds, Scott Arnold, Joann Schuster, Sue Necessary, Denise Eyre
The band: Austin Kern, Julie Legner
Calvary UMC: Willis Kern, Rob Stogsdill, Susan Hoss
The fam and extended fam: Dena, Dona, Jack, Jane, Ann, Rosann, Staley
The list hardly does justice to the strength of the happy times that most of these people gave me. It's a who's who list of funny, caring, loyal, talented, trustworthy people. There are a hundred blogworthy memories (hmmm...) that bring the smiles rushing back. Many of them, perhaps without knowing it, have helped me become a slightly better person by modeling an aspect of character that I admire and have tried to make my own.
Life passes by quickly enough that those golden moments wash away too easily. How lucky I am to have gotten this tidal wave of a gift! It not only reminds me of the healing, comforting and reinforcing value of those friendships past and present, but the importance of getting out of the house and continuing to jump into new ones going forward. God willing, there will be many more years to put that into practice!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Scientists Discover Tracks Of Uncontrollably Dribbling Mammal
Gruesome sticky tracks have led scientists to claim discovery of a new mammalian species lurking in men's restrooms.
The animals are as yet uncaptured photographically, but small dried puddled evidence proves their existence in a habitat previously thought to be exclusive to humans. Dr. Bjorn Susfolk of the British Anthropological Society explained the findings with a mixture of academic wonder and janitorial disgust.
"Imagine that a male person were engaged in urinal activity and, near completion, became so disoriented as to take a half-step backward and then simply stand there limply for ten seconds in a trance-like state. While man is far too advanced neurologically and socially to engage in such behaviors, we now have incontrovertible, wretched proof that some lower form of life exists, apparently in great numbers."
Debate stretched beyond the scientific realm, as gently-stepping, wide-stanced restroom patrons with common decency and sufficient dexterity to fasten pants while standing still were quick to offer alternative theories.
The animals are as yet uncaptured photographically, but small dried puddled evidence proves their existence in a habitat previously thought to be exclusive to humans. Dr. Bjorn Susfolk of the British Anthropological Society explained the findings with a mixture of academic wonder and janitorial disgust.
"Imagine that a male person were engaged in urinal activity and, near completion, became so disoriented as to take a half-step backward and then simply stand there limply for ten seconds in a trance-like state. While man is far too advanced neurologically and socially to engage in such behaviors, we now have incontrovertible, wretched proof that some lower form of life exists, apparently in great numbers."
Debate stretched beyond the scientific realm, as gently-stepping, wide-stanced restroom patrons with common decency and sufficient dexterity to fasten pants while standing still were quick to offer alternative theories.
Inner Applause
"You don't have to win to be successful. And sometimes you can even win by losing if you're standing up for what you know is right. Sometimes you win just by taking up the fights. There are so many different measures of success, but one thing I can say for sure is that success becomes clear when you hear your own inner applause." - Senator Barbara Boxer, the second in history to formally challenge a presidential election
What's 1,000 Opportunities Between Friends?
"Success is focusing on what you have rather than what you don't have. In my life, there were 10,000 things I could have done before my disability. Now there may be only 9,000. You've got to focus on your present opportunities and let the rest go." - Paul Schulte, Paralympic medal-winning athlete
Whether it's physical disability or lack of God-given ability (no Mona Lisas are coming out of these hands), there are a million things we can't do, and more than a lifetime worth of highly fulfilling things that we can. Let's get on with them!
Whether it's physical disability or lack of God-given ability (no Mona Lisas are coming out of these hands), there are a million things we can't do, and more than a lifetime worth of highly fulfilling things that we can. Let's get on with them!
Monday, May 17, 2010
The Right Moves
"I never look at a move as being the wrong move, I look at a move as a move you made that didn't work out. I mean, I could have bases loaded with the winning run at third base with one out. If you're going to pull the best hitter in baseball that's ever played the game, and put him on home plate, and you hit into a double play, all of a sudden, it's the 'wrong move.' No, it's not the wrong move. It just didn't work. So I try to gain perspective." - Joe Torre
What is this kind of self-talk word play... a way of ditching responsibility? In the wrong mind, sure, but this is just another practical example of the idea of a successful experiment. Joe could stay up all night wondering what he should have seen, how he could have been more alert or prepared to make the decision that would have turned out better. But bad outcomes are just part of the human condition. There may be something to be learned for the optimist. For the pessimist, it's another validation of his inferiority. Sadly, the pessimist mistakes the difference between a failed task and a failed person.
A co-worker who reports to me recently tried to rally a few of us to form a golf team as part of a fun department-wide event. As we tried to fill the last spot and a couple of candidates emerged I delegated the final call to her. Her response, in part, was "I am NOT the captain!!" followed by several similarly charged paragraphs along the lines of "since my original suggestion fell through I am most certainly not the captain!"
Ew boy. Did I kick a hornet's nest here? Possibly. But it wasn't the wrong move. I empowered her with ownership and leadership of her idea, and she deferred. I could have reacted with some measure of offense or worry and cowed into silence. Instead, I stayed myself, responding with a note of self-deprecating humor. She responded in kind. And life went on as breezily as ever!
What is this kind of self-talk word play... a way of ditching responsibility? In the wrong mind, sure, but this is just another practical example of the idea of a successful experiment. Joe could stay up all night wondering what he should have seen, how he could have been more alert or prepared to make the decision that would have turned out better. But bad outcomes are just part of the human condition. There may be something to be learned for the optimist. For the pessimist, it's another validation of his inferiority. Sadly, the pessimist mistakes the difference between a failed task and a failed person.
A co-worker who reports to me recently tried to rally a few of us to form a golf team as part of a fun department-wide event. As we tried to fill the last spot and a couple of candidates emerged I delegated the final call to her. Her response, in part, was "I am NOT the captain!!" followed by several similarly charged paragraphs along the lines of "since my original suggestion fell through I am most certainly not the captain!"
Ew boy. Did I kick a hornet's nest here? Possibly. But it wasn't the wrong move. I empowered her with ownership and leadership of her idea, and she deferred. I could have reacted with some measure of offense or worry and cowed into silence. Instead, I stayed myself, responding with a note of self-deprecating humor. She responded in kind. And life went on as breezily as ever!
Sunday, May 16, 2010
100 Grand
I've never driven a single car 100,000 miles, but it's appealing to me now. The good old 1999 Saturn SL1's got 84,000 on it in 11 years, which would mean about another two years to the magic mark. How can a numbers guy like me pass up a chance like that?
Real Winners
"The real winners in this world are those individuals who know their strengths and are able to create situations that play to their unique abilities." - Herb Greenberg
Jack likes to serve other people though comedy, and he does have talent for it. It's great to hear that he's taking comedy improv classes and striving to get an appearance on a Los Angeles club stage some day! By his own measure he may be average right now, which all beginners are - or worse. Fortunately, he knows what he wants, and that's half the journey right there. The other half is the hours of practice, trials in the scientific sense of the word - where a failure is not a tragegy but a learning step.
Jack likes to serve other people though comedy, and he does have talent for it. It's great to hear that he's taking comedy improv classes and striving to get an appearance on a Los Angeles club stage some day! By his own measure he may be average right now, which all beginners are - or worse. Fortunately, he knows what he wants, and that's half the journey right there. The other half is the hours of practice, trials in the scientific sense of the word - where a failure is not a tragegy but a learning step.
Blind Fate
"When you're in the wrong place, you can't turn yourself inside out to try to fit in. You've got to be true to yourself. You can't let them get to you. You've got to believe things will work out for the best." - Herb Greenberg, blind international entrepreneur & author
Friends of mine consider moving on to other jobs, and perhaps Herb would say that's the right thing to do. Not everyone seeks jobs because they feel they're in the wrong place. But it can be wasteful to fail to look around. Our gifts may be a perfect fit in another place, a culture more suited to our own personality - if only we take the time (and occasionally a bit of courage) to look.
Friends of mine consider moving on to other jobs, and perhaps Herb would say that's the right thing to do. Not everyone seeks jobs because they feel they're in the wrong place. But it can be wasteful to fail to look around. Our gifts may be a perfect fit in another place, a culture more suited to our own personality - if only we take the time (and occasionally a bit of courage) to look.
Gene-ius
Thank goodness I come from Mom's gene pool. She's always coming up with resourceful ideas like:
1. The evening before work, fill the drinking bottle half full with water, and lay it on a tilt in the freezer overnight. The next morning, fill the rest of the bottle with water. The day-long ice cube will turn into water steadily throughout the day just as you need it.
2. Got a cabinet so close to the wall that the plates come out cold in the winter, sapping the joy out of hot food? Lay them on top of the toaster and make some phantom toast, just long enough to take the freeze off.
3. Why not eat dry Cheerios with a toothpick for a snack? Healthy, and impossible to eat too fast.
Anyone else got nuggets of inventive practical wisdom like this?
1. The evening before work, fill the drinking bottle half full with water, and lay it on a tilt in the freezer overnight. The next morning, fill the rest of the bottle with water. The day-long ice cube will turn into water steadily throughout the day just as you need it.
2. Got a cabinet so close to the wall that the plates come out cold in the winter, sapping the joy out of hot food? Lay them on top of the toaster and make some phantom toast, just long enough to take the freeze off.
3. Why not eat dry Cheerios with a toothpick for a snack? Healthy, and impossible to eat too fast.
Anyone else got nuggets of inventive practical wisdom like this?
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Forget The Hand, Mac
This morning I felt the effects of another two-hour open gym basketball session at the high school. By last night's end an achy instep had me hobbling up and down steps as though I had a peg leg. I knew I'd wake up with fire alarms for nerve endings when my feet hit the floor.
Wednesdays are weight lifting days on the exercise schedule, and for a spell I thought about passing. How can you do squats, let alone calf raises, when you could barely climb stairs?
I was a summer basketball camper nearing my freshman year of high school during a scrimmage. Leading the camp was the varsity coach, a man of presidential importance to a 13-year old kid weighing a few potato sacks more than 100 pounds. A few minutes into the game, the ball came loose on the floor and my hand got stomped in the fracas. Always mature for my years, I grimaced and slowed down to clutch the injury.
Coach's voice muttered to me, while the rest of the teams dashed down the floor.
"Forget the hand, Mac."
That's all it took. Instantly, I shook it off and put my mind back on hustle in the game. He probably urged a thousand kids similarly over his career, without knowing the permanent impression those two seconds left on me (more so than even his name, which escapes me now). We'll get stomped literally and figuratively from time to time. Forget the pain. Move!
Needless to say, I lifted today.
Wednesdays are weight lifting days on the exercise schedule, and for a spell I thought about passing. How can you do squats, let alone calf raises, when you could barely climb stairs?
I was a summer basketball camper nearing my freshman year of high school during a scrimmage. Leading the camp was the varsity coach, a man of presidential importance to a 13-year old kid weighing a few potato sacks more than 100 pounds. A few minutes into the game, the ball came loose on the floor and my hand got stomped in the fracas. Always mature for my years, I grimaced and slowed down to clutch the injury.
Coach's voice muttered to me, while the rest of the teams dashed down the floor.
"Forget the hand, Mac."
That's all it took. Instantly, I shook it off and put my mind back on hustle in the game. He probably urged a thousand kids similarly over his career, without knowing the permanent impression those two seconds left on me (more so than even his name, which escapes me now). We'll get stomped literally and figuratively from time to time. Forget the pain. Move!
Needless to say, I lifted today.
Fail, To Grow
"You're going to make mistakes - if you're not making mistakes, that means you're not trying new things. The question is not how to avoid failing, but how to come back stronger and incorporate the lessons learned from the experience." - Bill Boggs
I've made some awful hiring decisions! Like the lady who came with a resume including a college degree and a few Masters classes. She'd also been exclusively in an entry-level position at a manufacturing company.
At one point I asked the question "With your education, why haven't they moved you into greater opportunity?" The answer blamed the company.
I asked about examples of conflict. She was unable to provide an answer.
Red flags start waving, but... she seems stoic and professional enough. Besides, she's replacing a person who'd been an active, complaining cancer in the department. Even if she's not a star, she'll be an improvement, right?
For a day or so.
Then came "Birthdaygate," where an innocent attempt by a co-worker to celebrate her 30th birthday in surprise fashion turned into an unleashed psychological fury. She was like a blowtorch - powerfully productive and useful most of the time, but way too hot to get close to. Eventually she was deemed "unstable" by our HR rep, and left the company.
Nowadays, I am bold about follow-up questions to get behind the mask, and highly attuned to the optimism, accuracy, frankness, humility and kindness that a candidate exudes. To do less is to toss a noose around the collective neck of the team and walk a tightrope!
I've made some awful hiring decisions! Like the lady who came with a resume including a college degree and a few Masters classes. She'd also been exclusively in an entry-level position at a manufacturing company.
At one point I asked the question "With your education, why haven't they moved you into greater opportunity?" The answer blamed the company.
I asked about examples of conflict. She was unable to provide an answer.
Red flags start waving, but... she seems stoic and professional enough. Besides, she's replacing a person who'd been an active, complaining cancer in the department. Even if she's not a star, she'll be an improvement, right?
For a day or so.
Then came "Birthdaygate," where an innocent attempt by a co-worker to celebrate her 30th birthday in surprise fashion turned into an unleashed psychological fury. She was like a blowtorch - powerfully productive and useful most of the time, but way too hot to get close to. Eventually she was deemed "unstable" by our HR rep, and left the company.
Nowadays, I am bold about follow-up questions to get behind the mask, and highly attuned to the optimism, accuracy, frankness, humility and kindness that a candidate exudes. To do less is to toss a noose around the collective neck of the team and walk a tightrope!
Upbeat Things In Small Packages
"If you know you're only going to have thirty, forty, sixty, eighty, one hundred years, and you can't even be sure you're going to be healthy, or not paralyzed, or whatever it is, don't let stress beat you. You have to see how wonderful it is to be alive. Because most of our time on the planet is gonna be in a casket. That's how I see it, you know? We're going to just be lying in a casket, or scattered to the wind. We're in that tiny, less-than-one-percent of time that we're on this planet - we're in that now, gives me a tremendous ability to be upbeat." - Jeff Lurie, owner of Philadelphia Eagles
Funk-Free
"I'm not so confident that I'm not self-questioning. I'm continually questioning. I have my good days and bad days, like anybody. But I don't stay in a fun. I work through it. You know, if I'm coming to work and I'm just... I come in, and just start plugging away. I have confidence by the end of the day I'll have worked my way through it." - Bill Bratton, police chief of Los Angeles
This is a guy who presided over one of the most dramatic turnarounds in any American city, as New York climbed from the depths of its worst crime record to an outstanding safety track in less than ten years. It must have been overwhelming to most men, and probably even to him. So he did what any of us can do in any circumstance... pick a well-planned path and steadily follow it. Little successes snowball into big wins. I can't say how many times I've talked myself into a small workout, and then found myself going far beyond. I think it's the momentum of overcoming laziness to set foot in the gym. That trivial feat touches off a good-feeling vibe that stretches for hours.
This is a guy who presided over one of the most dramatic turnarounds in any American city, as New York climbed from the depths of its worst crime record to an outstanding safety track in less than ten years. It must have been overwhelming to most men, and probably even to him. So he did what any of us can do in any circumstance... pick a well-planned path and steadily follow it. Little successes snowball into big wins. I can't say how many times I've talked myself into a small workout, and then found myself going far beyond. I think it's the momentum of overcoming laziness to set foot in the gym. That trivial feat touches off a good-feeling vibe that stretches for hours.
In And Out
"I use Eastern philosophy. I use the Zen thing to overcome that. Because that's right. Everybody's got this little voice saying, you know, 'You're gonna screw up.' But whenever you have a negative thought - which is natural, by the way - then you replace it with a positive thought. That's what Eastern philosophy does. So on the air, if I said, you know, 'I'm gonna make a mistake,' then I say, 'No, I'm not. I'm not going to make a mistake. I'm good at what I do.' Negative thought, replaced by a positive thought, wipes out the negative thought almost 100 percent of the time." - Bill O'Reilly
The mind can't focus on two things at once. Might as well stick something uplifting in there. I will say that the biggest struggle I have applying this is when bad dreams disrupt my R.E.M. sleep. Like this morning, when I dreamed that four men in suits delicately took me into a conference room to tell me that they'd be taking my employee Betty away to work somewhere else. What? Lose a 35-year employee? On the downside, disoriented as these moments are, I can't get it out of my head. A good note: in the dream, I responded calmly, "Whatever's best for the company." Fortunately I've lived enough mistakes of losing my cool by trying to dig in my heels in meetings that it's nice to know, at least in Nightmareland, that I can keep it together.
The mind can't focus on two things at once. Might as well stick something uplifting in there. I will say that the biggest struggle I have applying this is when bad dreams disrupt my R.E.M. sleep. Like this morning, when I dreamed that four men in suits delicately took me into a conference room to tell me that they'd be taking my employee Betty away to work somewhere else. What? Lose a 35-year employee? On the downside, disoriented as these moments are, I can't get it out of my head. A good note: in the dream, I responded calmly, "Whatever's best for the company." Fortunately I've lived enough mistakes of losing my cool by trying to dig in my heels in meetings that it's nice to know, at least in Nightmareland, that I can keep it together.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Puzzling Bloggers Guild
When I was in the band, once a month our rehearsals in the sanctuary would be uprooted by the Quilters' Guild. Picture a good-sized atrium and worship center teeming with people sitting in groups, weaving fabric in attractive designs, and chatting. I understood the concept of "doing something minimally productive as an excuse for bonding." With a little bias, I just didn't get into quilting.
What part of the brain makes puzzle-solving and blogging attractive pastimes? Hopefully the hippocampus, just because it's such a fabulous word to look at. Whatever it may be, I'm glad for it since it's given rise to the Goodfield Puzzling Bloggers' Guild. The dynamic is perfect. By the time we gather around the table to start methodically hunting edge pieces and stealing glances of the box picture like some mutant form of OCD, we've done considerable pre-reading of some of the most fascinating thoughts rolling around in each others' heads as spilled out through our fingers into cyberspace.
Quiet spells pass reflectively, a mixture of shape-studying and mulling the most recent flow of conversation. Phrases silly, serious, inquisitive and hopeful all find their way to the table in an easy, unhurried pace. Puzzle progress is slow, steady, and moderately important. Most of all, it gives like minds a chance to get sharpened and brightened in the most appealing way.
The Guild will be making appearances on the East Coast from June 5-12.
What part of the brain makes puzzle-solving and blogging attractive pastimes? Hopefully the hippocampus, just because it's such a fabulous word to look at. Whatever it may be, I'm glad for it since it's given rise to the Goodfield Puzzling Bloggers' Guild. The dynamic is perfect. By the time we gather around the table to start methodically hunting edge pieces and stealing glances of the box picture like some mutant form of OCD, we've done considerable pre-reading of some of the most fascinating thoughts rolling around in each others' heads as spilled out through our fingers into cyberspace.
Quiet spells pass reflectively, a mixture of shape-studying and mulling the most recent flow of conversation. Phrases silly, serious, inquisitive and hopeful all find their way to the table in an easy, unhurried pace. Puzzle progress is slow, steady, and moderately important. Most of all, it gives like minds a chance to get sharpened and brightened in the most appealing way.
The Guild will be making appearances on the East Coast from June 5-12.
Laptop Dance
My MacBook laptop computer arrived today!
Really it came just in the nick of time. My HP desktop had been assailed once again by a horde of malware that was slowly choking it to emergency levels.
But here I sit, having established Hidden Blog as the home page. Basking in easy navigation from site to site. Trying to figure out how to make it wireless (something about networks and passwords that will require us to inquire of people who understand such things).
Proud to be a free-wheeling Mac owner. Here's to a virus-free lifetime!
Really it came just in the nick of time. My HP desktop had been assailed once again by a horde of malware that was slowly choking it to emergency levels.
But here I sit, having established Hidden Blog as the home page. Basking in easy navigation from site to site. Trying to figure out how to make it wireless (something about networks and passwords that will require us to inquire of people who understand such things).
Proud to be a free-wheeling Mac owner. Here's to a virus-free lifetime!
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Rick Torbett
This guy does a series of basketball instructional videos and styles the "read and react" offense with increasing popularity. Elements of it will appear in our team's offense next season so it's a good time to get a jump!
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Shortest Way To The Mountaintop
"What I try to do is attack exactly what I have in front of me, as soon as I can." - Bobby Flay, celebrity chef and T.V. personality
Few things are as mentally draining as realizing at the end of the day that the three items atop the morning's to-do list never got done. In my job, the siren call of e-mail is the opponent.
"Time to start work on that premium project..."
*ding*
"Hmmm, what's this about 'Help, Please'? Skimming... someone needs me to look up a fact and send it to them. Won't take but a minute."
*ding*
"Tyson's first baby was born! Photos! Awwww..."
*ding*
"The department head wants me to do a presentation on spam e-mail? Let's read the corporate message points here..."
*ding*
"Whoa, ten minutes until my 1-on-1 with the boss! What's most important to talk about today..."
And on it goes. Whether it's e-mail at the office or a good T.V. show at home, there's always a convenient time-sucker that leaves me feeling undisciplined and wasted whenever I give in. Ancient wisdom says "This one thing I do." That guy probably felt as good as I did when I tackled the oldest tasks in my inbox this morning. Sure, others may have piled up in the meantime, but the small act of setting a goal and seeing it through with focus means more to me than answering a hundred trivial tasks trying to distract me instead.
Few things are as mentally draining as realizing at the end of the day that the three items atop the morning's to-do list never got done. In my job, the siren call of e-mail is the opponent.
"Time to start work on that premium project..."
*ding*
"Hmmm, what's this about 'Help, Please'? Skimming... someone needs me to look up a fact and send it to them. Won't take but a minute."
*ding*
"Tyson's first baby was born! Photos! Awwww..."
*ding*
"The department head wants me to do a presentation on spam e-mail? Let's read the corporate message points here..."
*ding*
"Whoa, ten minutes until my 1-on-1 with the boss! What's most important to talk about today..."
And on it goes. Whether it's e-mail at the office or a good T.V. show at home, there's always a convenient time-sucker that leaves me feeling undisciplined and wasted whenever I give in. Ancient wisdom says "This one thing I do." That guy probably felt as good as I did when I tackled the oldest tasks in my inbox this morning. Sure, others may have piled up in the meantime, but the small act of setting a goal and seeing it through with focus means more to me than answering a hundred trivial tasks trying to distract me instead.
Nobody Is Nothing
"I can have those - you know, like, 'eh, you're nothing' moments. I think everybody has that. And then I have this part of me that's positive. I call it my Inner Winner. And that's what keeps me going. you know? That's that positive light." - Diane Warren, award-winning songwriter
Renowned talk show host Matt Lauren at one point had four straight shows canceled. Four! Would you try to start up a fifth business if your first four failed? That perception of setbacks as learning experiences on the road to certain eventual victory has propelled several national celebrities to their dreams. The 'eh, you're nothing' voice is a liar... it's lonely... it wants company... it's a disease, an allergy to be discarded... it can't keep up with us due to its own weakness, unless we stop for it. Keep going! Spread acts of kindness and well-wishes to those around us, and reap those true rewards that come flooding back.
Renowned talk show host Matt Lauren at one point had four straight shows canceled. Four! Would you try to start up a fifth business if your first four failed? That perception of setbacks as learning experiences on the road to certain eventual victory has propelled several national celebrities to their dreams. The 'eh, you're nothing' voice is a liar... it's lonely... it wants company... it's a disease, an allergy to be discarded... it can't keep up with us due to its own weakness, unless we stop for it. Keep going! Spread acts of kindness and well-wishes to those around us, and reap those true rewards that come flooding back.
National Anything Month
My pay stub informed me that May is National Direct Deposit month. Who decides this? Congress? Larry King? The pope? The mob? Wikipedia?
Actually, yes! Sort of. Wikipedia declares a long list:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_commemorative_months
May is National Fitness Month, National Correct Posture Month, and National Foot Health Month, all of which are outstanding and tidy together. There are some conflicts, like being both National Hamburger Month and National Salad Month (which also seems to fly in the face of National High Blood Pressure Month). Those who worked so hard to make it National Bike Month were surely none too pleased when it became National Mine Month. With great efficiency those planning the celebration of Older Americans Month can team up with the Arthritis Month steering committee and sponsor reeeeealy slow relay races. Although one day is yielded to mothers, make no mistake that it's the Month of Man.
Alas, Direct Deposit Month is not listed. I'm wondering if it's a sham concocted by the IRS to save a few stamps on tax refunds (or by the Postal Service to reduce back-breaking workman's comp claims).
Heads up: National Tickling Month is in July...
Actually, yes! Sort of. Wikipedia declares a long list:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_commemorative_months
May is National Fitness Month, National Correct Posture Month, and National Foot Health Month, all of which are outstanding and tidy together. There are some conflicts, like being both National Hamburger Month and National Salad Month (which also seems to fly in the face of National High Blood Pressure Month). Those who worked so hard to make it National Bike Month were surely none too pleased when it became National Mine Month. With great efficiency those planning the celebration of Older Americans Month can team up with the Arthritis Month steering committee and sponsor reeeeealy slow relay races. Although one day is yielded to mothers, make no mistake that it's the Month of Man.
Alas, Direct Deposit Month is not listed. I'm wondering if it's a sham concocted by the IRS to save a few stamps on tax refunds (or by the Postal Service to reduce back-breaking workman's comp claims).
Heads up: National Tickling Month is in July...
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Living The Heart Way
"After you make some money, then you can do what's in your heart." - Jim Cramer
"If you know something to be true in your heart, stay with it." - Diane Warren
A friend and I got into a conversation about management jobs. She's achieved high marks in her career and been asked about stepping up into formal management some day. But her heart isn't in it, at least not yet. And there are some stations in life where "not knowing" is really knowing. Curiosity is a spark of passion's flame. If it's not there, then find another path.
Personally, I spent most of today fired up about the prospects of a new employee coming on board, and supervising a summer intern. I get a deep sense of satisfaction from stepping people toward their definition of excellence. I love helping people discover that definition from within through trial and error. And after making some money, then I can do it to my heart's content without interruption.
"If you know something to be true in your heart, stay with it." - Diane Warren
A friend and I got into a conversation about management jobs. She's achieved high marks in her career and been asked about stepping up into formal management some day. But her heart isn't in it, at least not yet. And there are some stations in life where "not knowing" is really knowing. Curiosity is a spark of passion's flame. If it's not there, then find another path.
Personally, I spent most of today fired up about the prospects of a new employee coming on board, and supervising a summer intern. I get a deep sense of satisfaction from stepping people toward their definition of excellence. I love helping people discover that definition from within through trial and error. And after making some money, then I can do it to my heart's content without interruption.
Entitlement
"You can't have a sense of entitlement if you plan to get ahead." - Bill Boggs
Is there a more difficult person to work with than someone who feels entitled to something, or a more useful teammate than someone who feels entitled to nothing? There isn't nearly enough humility in my bones, but one natural advantage I've had in my career is a sense that however hard I work, I'm overpaid. And in my personal life, the shift from "happy to be here" to "unbearable" in occasional pursuits has clearly, almost by definition, been a sad slide along the entitlement spectrum to the worst possible end. Living gratefully is bliss. Living with entitlement is lonely. Each successful day finds us riveted to our reasons to be thankful.
Is there a more difficult person to work with than someone who feels entitled to something, or a more useful teammate than someone who feels entitled to nothing? There isn't nearly enough humility in my bones, but one natural advantage I've had in my career is a sense that however hard I work, I'm overpaid. And in my personal life, the shift from "happy to be here" to "unbearable" in occasional pursuits has clearly, almost by definition, been a sad slide along the entitlement spectrum to the worst possible end. Living gratefully is bliss. Living with entitlement is lonely. Each successful day finds us riveted to our reasons to be thankful.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
The Lottery Of Life
"Sometimes the small-but-meaningful opportunity shows up as a chance to do your absolute best, even if you are not assured of a payoff." - Bill Boggs
Being Cheap
"At the last minute, they decided they couldn't afford to pay a freelance film critic. So I sort of raised my hand and said, 'I wrote film reviews in college. Could I do it?' So I did it for free. I didn't get paid for it. I remember, my salary was $10,000 a year, and I did these long essays, every issue of New Times. But that really led to my career. Because then a year and a half or two years later, the New York Post saw my reviews and offered me the job as film critic there." - Frank Rich
Many happy endings began with a willingness to donate oneself. Most any corporation starts that way, with ownership experiencing several years of loss before turning a profit. Individuals can flourish by word of mouth, which comes most easily when you're willing to work for free - who's gonna turn down free help nowadays? Think of it in a business sense as start up marketing cost. Or in an educational sense as an unpaid internship.
I've been glad to volunteer for NCHS basketball as a coach, both for the prospect of making a difference for the program and also for the learnings to be sponged up from seasoned coaches. Meanwhile, Dena's been shopping her graphic design services at a discount for several years, and I could see word-of-mouth momentum carrying her upward rapidly in a few years. Yet another twist on the old saying that it's more important to give than receive... at least at first!
Many happy endings began with a willingness to donate oneself. Most any corporation starts that way, with ownership experiencing several years of loss before turning a profit. Individuals can flourish by word of mouth, which comes most easily when you're willing to work for free - who's gonna turn down free help nowadays? Think of it in a business sense as start up marketing cost. Or in an educational sense as an unpaid internship.
I've been glad to volunteer for NCHS basketball as a coach, both for the prospect of making a difference for the program and also for the learnings to be sponged up from seasoned coaches. Meanwhile, Dena's been shopping her graphic design services at a discount for several years, and I could see word-of-mouth momentum carrying her upward rapidly in a few years. Yet another twist on the old saying that it's more important to give than receive... at least at first!
Cool With The Boss
"And you know, with George Steinbrenner, he's a tough boss; I acknowledge that. You can't pick and choose the piece of your boss that you want to keep and the other piece you don't want to keep. You have to understand that it's the package. If you're gonna take his money, you're gonna have to take the criticism. That's something you just have to know going in. This keeps you from overreacting." - Joe Torre, multiple World Series winning coach
A co-worker once approached me suggesting that I inform a boss that his conduct was adversely affecting others. But even had it been one of my own team members telling me this, I don't think that's how it works. In my view, healthy relationships aren't about trying to change each other. There are exceptions. If the boss had been walking around with a gasoline can and menacing people with a lighter. Or if the boss were the type who invited feedback. But in my experience few people are that way - most are exceedingly comfortable with who they are, myself included. It's often unrealistic to expect them to change their "flaws," unless we're ready to change things in ourselves in return that we may not see as "flaws." To paraphrase Joe, we can love who they are, rather than focusing on who they're not. And if you can't, it's probably time to move on.
A co-worker once approached me suggesting that I inform a boss that his conduct was adversely affecting others. But even had it been one of my own team members telling me this, I don't think that's how it works. In my view, healthy relationships aren't about trying to change each other. There are exceptions. If the boss had been walking around with a gasoline can and menacing people with a lighter. Or if the boss were the type who invited feedback. But in my experience few people are that way - most are exceedingly comfortable with who they are, myself included. It's often unrealistic to expect them to change their "flaws," unless we're ready to change things in ourselves in return that we may not see as "flaws." To paraphrase Joe, we can love who they are, rather than focusing on who they're not. And if you can't, it's probably time to move on.
A Way To Figure It Out
"Just sit there and say to yourself, 'I've got a limited number of years. What do I want to do with them? Do I want to change the world? Do I want to raise a family? Do I want to have fun? Do I see my life as a basket of appetites, which I'm going to fill up with both hands, until I get old and the baskets start coming apart, and I lose the ability to fill what's left of the basket?' Try thinking yourself into a commitment to some purpose. Just try it." - Mario Cuomo
The Road Less Nudged Down
"I knew I had something to offer, but I was scared to fulfill it. I didn't really have a role model. I mean,as much as my family was supportive of everything I would want to do, nobody really had a road map." - Joy Behar
Tyson passed along some advice about doing one thing that scares you every day. If Joy had avoided what scared her, she wouldn't have set herself down a road toward becoming a famous talk show host.
Meanwhile, how many more people would wander a few steps down that road if they had someone to give them encouragement?
Tyson passed along some advice about doing one thing that scares you every day. If Joy had avoided what scared her, she wouldn't have set herself down a road toward becoming a famous talk show host.
Meanwhile, how many more people would wander a few steps down that road if they had someone to give them encouragement?
Sunday, May 2, 2010
The Lighter Side Of Falling
When a skiing instructor's students are about to fall, he has them shout out "YES!" with a great grin on their face.
"It's amazing how lightly you fall compared with a skier who's trying to look good and is grimacing with tension as the unwelcome tumble approaches. It's also amazing how this childlike attitude toward falling helps prevent injuries, which are so often the result of tension in the muscles." - Ken Blanchard
Bracing for a crash - or in relationships, worrying - can cause more pain than protection. Sometimes it's just worth smiling and enjoying the experience.
"It's amazing how lightly you fall compared with a skier who's trying to look good and is grimacing with tension as the unwelcome tumble approaches. It's also amazing how this childlike attitude toward falling helps prevent injuries, which are so often the result of tension in the muscles." - Ken Blanchard
Bracing for a crash - or in relationships, worrying - can cause more pain than protection. Sometimes it's just worth smiling and enjoying the experience.
Nice Catch
"They key to developing people is to catch them doing something right." - Ken Blanchard
I believe that at work and at home. It's so easy to spot Dena in a nice outfit and let the moment pass without a compliment. Likewise when the kitchen smells like baked bread, or a fresh scented candle is lit to energize the room. In any given day there are probably a dozen opportunities to exercise what's right with the world by simply allowing our thoughts to slip through the lips.
I believe that at work and at home. It's so easy to spot Dena in a nice outfit and let the moment pass without a compliment. Likewise when the kitchen smells like baked bread, or a fresh scented candle is lit to energize the room. In any given day there are probably a dozen opportunities to exercise what's right with the world by simply allowing our thoughts to slip through the lips.
Moving Along
"I don't get consumed by circumstances that are beyond my control. If I worry, it beats everybody else down. I'm always in to what's happening next. So Bob Griese has broken ankle? Okay, let's get Earl Morrall ready and put him in there." - Don Shula
I never did finish my story about the agent who'd asked for a product that simply wasn't available currently. When she called back, we designed a halfway solution. We'd both given it the best we could, and that was that.
Late Friday, I stopped by my old stomping grounds in the Life Tax department. During a conversation I picked up a vibe of discontentment. For a while I studied the situation. Had I done something wrong? Probably not, possibly so. It could be that I'd simply come at a bad time. It wasn't worth the weight, so I cast the thought into the distance and headed on to the next thing.
I never did finish my story about the agent who'd asked for a product that simply wasn't available currently. When she called back, we designed a halfway solution. We'd both given it the best we could, and that was that.
Late Friday, I stopped by my old stomping grounds in the Life Tax department. During a conversation I picked up a vibe of discontentment. For a while I studied the situation. Had I done something wrong? Probably not, possibly so. It could be that I'd simply come at a bad time. It wasn't worth the weight, so I cast the thought into the distance and headed on to the next thing.
The Way Things Could Be
Entering the hospital, the man takes an elevator to the second floor and asks for directions at the nurses' station. His face is solemn as he walks down the hallway toward the designated room. He enters and moves toward the bandaged figure on the bed. The patient sees him, smiles wanly, raises an arm from which tubes dangle.
"Thanks for coming, Coach."
"How you doing?'
"Oh, okay." The mournful look in the sunken eyes tells a different story.
There is a long pause. Finally the visitor leans in, his jaw jutting close to the face of the patient.
"Listen, Mike. I need you in training camp in July - on the field, ready to go. We're going all the way this year."
Later Mike Westhoff, recovered from bone cancer and still the special teams coach for the Delphine, would say of Shula, "I thought he would tuck me in, but he didn't. He treated me the way I could be, not the way I was."
"Thanks for coming, Coach."
"How you doing?'
"Oh, okay." The mournful look in the sunken eyes tells a different story.
There is a long pause. Finally the visitor leans in, his jaw jutting close to the face of the patient.
"Listen, Mike. I need you in training camp in July - on the field, ready to go. We're going all the way this year."
Later Mike Westhoff, recovered from bone cancer and still the special teams coach for the Delphine, would say of Shula, "I thought he would tuck me in, but he didn't. He treated me the way I could be, not the way I was."
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Well Defined
"It was the first time I was able to look at football as something that God was allowing me to do, not something that should define me." - Tony Dungy
He was getting at those crisis situations where it's easy to fret over what we are going to do next. How important is the "crisis" in the big picture? What football moment takes on as much significance as anything having to do with the soul of the way we treat others?
As a supervisor, I once said to an employee that I enjoyed difficult conversations. "You are so full of s---," was the angry response, and she was right. The only thing I would have regretted more than the inane statement I'd just made was if I'd reacted to her comment with venom of my own. Instead, we talked it out. In time, we became friends.
He was getting at those crisis situations where it's easy to fret over what we are going to do next. How important is the "crisis" in the big picture? What football moment takes on as much significance as anything having to do with the soul of the way we treat others?
As a supervisor, I once said to an employee that I enjoyed difficult conversations. "You are so full of s---," was the angry response, and she was right. The only thing I would have regretted more than the inane statement I'd just made was if I'd reacted to her comment with venom of my own. Instead, we talked it out. In time, we became friends.
Still, Small Voice
"My dad always believed that God uses the logic and the passion He's given us to help direct us, and I believe that too. This must be the 'gentle whisper' thing. The 'still, small voice.'" - Tony Dungy
That's in line with my faith. Is there a heaven? I don't deny it, nor does my logic see it yet. But I am passionate about teaching. It makes sense to me that God might have put us here to interact in harmonious ways as part of a colorful plan. So following that path, applying gifts toward that harmony, gives me the satisfaction that some may find from the idea of eternal salvation.
That's in line with my faith. Is there a heaven? I don't deny it, nor does my logic see it yet. But I am passionate about teaching. It makes sense to me that God might have put us here to interact in harmonious ways as part of a colorful plan. So following that path, applying gifts toward that harmony, gives me the satisfaction that some may find from the idea of eternal salvation.
When They Try To Suck...
"The press wants to suck us into these kinds of comparisons and crystal-gazing conversations. I want to enjoy the thrill of coaching one game at a time." - Don Shula
Who should be ranked the highest? Who's the greatest of all time? Casting opinions about is a pastime fun or destructive, depending on whether it's played with a spirit of discovery or judgment.
Who should be ranked the highest? Who's the greatest of all time? Casting opinions about is a pastime fun or destructive, depending on whether it's played with a spirit of discovery or judgment.
The Art Of Living
"The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his information and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him he's always doing both." - James Michener
I need to figure out how the aspect of choosing one's environment comes into play here. Where would Tiger Woods be if he'd just taken a job at Wendy's? Are legions of retirees failures because they left work for leisure? Perhaps the answer is that, where our environment is beyond our control, we find a vision of excellence within that environment, and let that be the end of it.
I need to figure out how the aspect of choosing one's environment comes into play here. Where would Tiger Woods be if he'd just taken a job at Wendy's? Are legions of retirees failures because they left work for leisure? Perhaps the answer is that, where our environment is beyond our control, we find a vision of excellence within that environment, and let that be the end of it.
National Anthem
I saw an article in the Pantagraph today about auditions to sing the national anthem at a game for the new local pro baseball team the Normal CornBelters. Drat, I would have gone if only I'd known! Maybe next time.
High/Low Week 16 2010
A short night of sleep got the best of me during morning basketball today. My general belief is that athletic performance is only mildly affected by sleep, compared with mental activities. A lack of shuteye does (as documented many times on Hidden Blog) affect my emotional state though. Less then ten minutes in, a wayward pass to me under the hoop caused me scrambling into a collision with another player. I decided that he was deliberately impeding me and, during the next trip down court, happened to end up guarding him with the ball. I took about ten manic swings at "the ball," perfectly within the edge of the rules but admittedly a little psycho. It's what happens when the world becomes too narrow and self-centered - if my focus had been on a greater cause like playing my best, hustling for the team or just getting healthy exercise then the moment would have passed innocently.
Until and unless some magical voice tells me more clearly, one of the closest senses of purpose I experience is validation from my peers. This week a couple of co-workers gave some sincere appreciation for my teaching and leadership experiences. I wouldn't consider my career remarkable, but to have influenced someone in a positive way does help the days along with a tad more gusto.
Today was clean-up day around the condominium complex. About a dozen neighbors teamed up to sweep, organize, and seal the property. The traditional communal lunch that follows is always a high point, munching on sub sandwiches from La Gondola under pleasant, breezy, slightly overcast skies. Then as the sun peeked through in the late afternoon, and I sat poolside with Tony Dungy's book, it was one of those golden experiences - surveying the beautified environment, stretched out and enriching the mind with the words of a highly spiritual man.
Until and unless some magical voice tells me more clearly, one of the closest senses of purpose I experience is validation from my peers. This week a couple of co-workers gave some sincere appreciation for my teaching and leadership experiences. I wouldn't consider my career remarkable, but to have influenced someone in a positive way does help the days along with a tad more gusto.
Today was clean-up day around the condominium complex. About a dozen neighbors teamed up to sweep, organize, and seal the property. The traditional communal lunch that follows is always a high point, munching on sub sandwiches from La Gondola under pleasant, breezy, slightly overcast skies. Then as the sun peeked through in the late afternoon, and I sat poolside with Tony Dungy's book, it was one of those golden experiences - surveying the beautified environment, stretched out and enriching the mind with the words of a highly spiritual man.
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