Category Archives: Uncategorized

“Innovation is born from the interaction between constraint and vision.”

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“Innovation is born from the interaction between constraint and vision.”

—Marissa Mayer, co-founder of Lumi Labs

Image of Marissa Mayer from Twitter

How innovative and creative are you compared to those around you? How do you stack up against your colleagues, your competitors, and to the global pioneers that are transforming our world with new exponential technologies?

If your ego has gotten a bit bruised by pondering those questions, there is coaching for you in today’s quote.

EXERCISE:

Take a few minutes to examine one or two top priorities in your personal or professional worlds. What is your vision for each area, and what limitations or constraints exist?

Consider expanding your vision in these areas to the point where the constraints become greater, requiring you to be even more innovative.

Even if you shoot for the moon and miss, your innovative efforts will land you among the stars.

“Watch the turtle. He only moves forward by sticking his neck out.”

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“Watch the turtle. He only moves forward by sticking his neck out.”

—Lou Gerstner, former CEO of IBM

Image from Unsplash by Amauri Acosta Montiel

My daughter Rachel’s favorite animal is the turtle. She has many stuffed animals and other tchotchkes to prove it.

It happens that she has lived a life in which she has stuck her neck out many times to move forward on various personal and professional priorities. In college, she did door-to-door sales for an educational products company. She worked 80-85 hours a week, with plenty of rejections along the way. Nevertheless, she pulled in about $25k each summer, as opposed to the 12-week, minimum wage jobs some of her classmates took on.

EXERCISE:

To what degree are you playing it safe in your personal and professional worlds? What top priority issue is calling you to courageously stick your neck out even if you were to progress at a turtle’s pace?

“To give of yourself is much more important than giving a gift you can buy.”

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“To give of yourself is much more important than giving a gift you can buy.”

—Steve Wozniak, Co-Founder of Apple, Inc.


WARNING! There will be a test at the end of this post!

Gary Chapman’s book, The Five Love Languages, has sold over 12 million copies and has been a #1 New York Times best seller for over 8 years. It has received over 14,000 reviews on Amazon, with 94% being 5 or 4 stars. And given its universal appeal to people around the world, it has been translated into 50 languages. The five languages are:

  1. Words of Affirmation
  2. Physical Touch
  3. Acts of Service
  4. Gifts
  5. Quality Time

Please note that only one out of the five languages is about gifts, and a subset are hand-made rather than bought.

EXERCISE:

How and in what additional ways can you more fully give of yourself to demonstrate your love of family, friends and others you care about?

Please consider taking the Five Love Languages test and share this expertise with those closest to you to discover their love preferences.

Friday Review: Opinion

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FRIDAY REVIEW: OPINION

On what criteria do you base your opinions? How do you react to the opinions of others? Here are a few opinion-related posts you may have missed.

 

“Your first impression remains—but you can revise your opinion. Look once again and give someone a second chance!”

 

 

 

“Be careful how you interpret the world: it is like that.”

 

 

 

 

“The only way some of us exercise our minds is by jumping to conclusions.”

 

 

 

“There is always room in our budget for a little experimentation.”

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“There is always room in our budget for a little experimentation.”

—Beth Comstock, American business executive

Image from Unsplash by J. Jordan

Variety is the spice of life, they say. How much variety do you experience on a daily basis in your job and personal life? Whether its your organizational budget, your own financial situation, or your personal habits in spending time, perhaps you would benefit from a bit more experimentation.

Where would spending or perhaps investing more resources — including money and time — provide for potential quantifiable or qualitative value? How might a bit more creativity, innovation, and experimentation spice up your professional and personal worlds?

EXERCISE:

Please reply to this post with the “outside the box” efforts you plan to initiate.

“I will accept your influence, guidance, and direction if (and only if) I believe that you and I share similar goals.”

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“I will accept your influence, guidance, and direction if (and only if) I believe that you and I share similar goals.”

—David Maister, former Harvard Business School professor

Image from Unsplash by Nik MacMillan

How coachable are you? How open and receptive are you to the guidance, direction and influences of others in your professional or personal life?

I begin working with all new clients with an all-day, one-on-one workshop in my office to clarify and fully align on the specific goals and objectives we intend to produce. With this up-front investment to align our objectives we can optimize the full benefit and value of our relationship.

EXERCISE:

How can and will you enhance the receptivity and coach-ability of yourself and those around you by doing the up-front work of assuring shared goals for your efforts?

“All kids need is a little help, a little hope, and someone who believes in them.”

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“All kids need is a little help, a little hope, and someone who believes in them.”

—Magic Johnson, former Los Angeles Laker Basketball Superstar

Weston on his 1st Birthday

How often do you video chat with family and friends that live far away? A few weeks ago, Wendy and I were delighted to see our one-year-old grandson Weston take 10 steps at the encouragement of his mom — our daughter Rachel.

Our children are our future, and I have no doubt that Weston will be an extraordinary young man due to the hope, help, and belief we all have in him.

EXERCISE:

Who are the big and little kids in your world that need and deserve even more belief and support? In what ways can and will you more fully contribute to their growth and development?

Friday Review: Time Management

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FRIDAY REVIEW: TIME MANAGEMENT

How well do you manage your time? Here are a few time management-related posts you may have missed. Click the links to read the full message.

 

“The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.”

 

 

 

“There are people whose clocks stop at a certain point in their lives.”

 

 

 

“The time to relax is when you don’t have time for it.”

 

 

 

 

“For creative tasks, the best approach is often just to hire great people and get out of their way.”

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“For creative tasks, the best approach is often just to hire great people and get out of their way.”

—Daniel Pink, New York Times Best selling Author

Image of The Lone Ranger and Tonto

Image from myfavoritewesterns

Who are the people who help you live a full and productive life?

To what degree are you more like the Lone Ranger, living by the motto, If it is to be, it begins and ends with me?

Years ago, a former mentor shared the idea that leading a million dollar company required 10 people, but that 10,000 were required to run a billion dollar company. Today, these numbers are often considerably less, due to the amazingly creative people and exponential technologies making their way into our lives.

EXERCISE:

What current task are you struggling with that requires greater capabilities and creativity than currently available? Who are the Tonto’s and other great people in your world that could exponentially boost your productivity and success?

“People are not lazy. They simply have impotent goals…”

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“People are not lazy. They simply have impotent goals. That is, goals that do not inspire them.”

—Tony Robbins, American self-help Author and speaker

Image of a white coffee cup inscribed "begin"

Image from Unsplash by Danielle MacInnes

Who are the lazy people you know personally or professionally? Where and on what occasions do you, too, have a lazy streak in which you prefer to disengage?

To what degree do you, and they, perk up and find energy to become fully engaged by other interests and abilities?

What are your most exciting and inspiring vocational and avocational interests—the ones where you find yourself “all in” and where time flies?

EXERCISE:

What changes can and will you make to super-charge the potency of goals for yourself and others?

Feel free to reply to this post with the inspired actions you take and the results that occur.