Management Craft

Management Craft is 5 Yrs Old: Reflections from Kevin Eikenberry, Raj Setty and Valeria Maltoni

Finishing my anniversary "special" guests posts.... Management Craft is celebrating its 5th anniversary this month and the month is nearly over. I asked several of my long time online pals what lessons they have learned in the last five years (so that I could post their thoughts as part of my celebration). Today I am sharing the final three contributions. I think you will LOVE these and if you read through the post, I know your week will be off to a fabulous start.

Thanks to all my pals who offered their thoughts this months and THANK YOU for being a Management Craft reader.

I am going to start things off with this tasty morsel from Kevin Eikenberry (Remarkable Learning Blog). Keven sent me this brief post and offered to expand it into a longer piece, but I think it is perfect as is. So profound, so wise and it has the power to transform.

Lisa - Hard to pick *one thing* or even one thing in a given category.  What I am doing instead is sharing the first two important things that came to my mind...

I've learned that . . .  we are all more selfish than we realize, and when we do realize it, and make different choices, we will create better lives (and results) for ourselves and others.

I've learned that . . . ideas matter less than implementation

Wow, that is deep and powerful, eh? Yes, I agree, most of us can get trapped in a self-imposed self-absorption. My next submission is from the always sage Raj Setty (Life Beyond Code).

Hi Lisa,

Here is my take on the question.

What is the most important lesson you learned in the last 5 years?

Five years is a long time and I have learned a lot in those five
years. If I have to pick one it would be the "power of daily
conversations."

We live in our daily conversations - either the ones that we have with
others or the ones that we have with others about the ones we are
having with others. In other words, we are always talking - to others
or to ourselves.

What we say in those daily conversations shapes our destiny - slowly but surely.

Because it's a daily conversation, it is easy to "discount" the value
of it. But it does play a part on what actions you take on that day.

With my daily conversation, I can motivate myself to do something.

With my daily conversation, I can convince or justify not to do something.

With my daily conversation, I can feel guilty about not doing
something and get on it.

With my daily conversation, I can justify not doing something and
safely postpone it.

Daily conversations provide us the choices and options that produce
the daily actions. These daily actions are the ones that moves us
towards our goals or away from our goals.

I would be lying if I said that I have mastered the art of daily
conversations but I am far better at it than where I was five years
ago.

Yes! The power of the conversation! Hail the effective conversation! But wait!!! The conversation is a powerful tool, but should not replace the real work of self-development and goal implementation (and may not reinforce diversity if we converse primarily with like minds). Valeria Maltoni (Conversation Agent Blog) says is very well here:

Lisa,

I'm honored that you would ask me to participate in your blogiversary with the amazing community you built. Thank you. You are contagious, I can see that!

5 years is a long time today. Much longer than it used to be, mostly thanks to the increased number of interactions and potential connections we can make any given day. While overall this gives us tremendous opportunity to make breakthroughs, there is also the potential that we come to expect much more from ourselves and sometimes from others. That can be a good thing only if we're willing to be patient at the same time.

Being like minded is good, but it can potentially turn our slice of the digital space into an eco chamber; being open minded is hard, as the time compression also leads to quick judgment. Our gut can be right, but not all the time and we miss out when we silence a voice before it's had its time to emerge. Having said that, I've grown quite decisive towards energy vampires.

Learning more about what others are doing sometimes distracts us from tapping into our own potential. It also forces us to constantly compare ourselves to others from frequent exposure to their projects and ideas. You know, there is a reason why the saying "the grass is greener" exists. Alain de Botton points to a kinder, gentler philosophy of success in his TED talk. Learning from others is important, but so is believing in one self. I found some inspiration in that.

My new mantra is more agent, a little less conversation.

Cool. Be humble. Be aligned and in action. Be happy!

And with that, I will launch into another five years of blogging here at Management Craft.

How Micro-Managing UP Can Help You Succeed

I talk to many managers who take pride in the fact that their managers do not know what they do all day. And some say that their manager does not want to know as long as the work gets done.

Leaving your manager in the dark is not a good strategy, and can hurt your career.

Two quick examples:

1. A department leader I was talking with lamented that she did not know what one of her managers did with much of her time. And her manager seemed defensive whenever the she asked about how she was spending her week. This department head had a less-than-stellar opinion of the manager. Was it deserved? Who knows.

2. I have experienced the power of micro-managing up. When I have taken the initiative to provide regular updates - verbally, while on the road, through email, I have found that my manager seems confident and free of worry about my performance. When I have skipped doing this, he/she would periodically ask questions or make assumptions that told me he/she did not have the information he/she needed to make good assumptions (in other words, I shot myself in the foot).

You might be asking - well, Lisa, shouldn't my manager tell me when and how he/she wants an update? Sure, that would be lovely, but do not count on this or wait for this.

You and I have been hired to do a job and we will be well served if we ensure that our managers know what we are doing with our precious company-paid time. It is a responsible, results-oriented thing to do. AND, there is a little self-psychology that plays into this practice because we tend to take care of things so that our updates will look good.

Here's what I recommend:

• Weekly emails with what you are working on and a status of open items. Let you manager know how he/she can best help you get things done. Make requests.
• Check-in calls when traveling, even if just to say "hello" and share how things are going on your business trip.
• Monthly one-on-ones where you share a detailed update.

I know some of you have managers who request this kind of information already, but if you don't, take the initiative to micro-manage up. You will improve your results and the reputation you have with your manager.

Management Craft is 5 Years Old - Reflections from Pals - Rosa Say and Dwayne Melancon

Continuing my anniversary "special" guests posts.... Management Craft is celebrating its 5th anniversary this month. I asked several of my long time online pals what lessons they have learned in the last five years (so that I could post their thoughts as part of my celebration). Today I am sharing the key learnings from Rosa Say and Dwayne Melancon.

From Rosa Say, of Talking Story with Rosa Say:

Aloha Lisa and all,
 
I have learned of the “why” and “how” I need to grow —constantly.
 
A bit of context: I share this 5-year August anniversary with you Lisa. What an incredible 5 years it has been, for it marks 5 years for both Talking Story (which I now refer to as my ‘crucible blog’) and Managing with Aloha, the book which launched me into an entrepreneurial mindset and self-employment after a 30-year corporate career. I have few regrets, for it was a great ride, however being a corporate exec is a full immersion deal: It swallows you up because you are working on someone else’s dreams versus your own, even though you may do so willingly at the time, buying in as completely as I did — I was quite happy to milk that place and time for what I’d learn, and I did enroll in other leaders’ visions.
 
I’ve always been someone who writes to sort things out — to think better — and so discovering blogging in 2004 was extremely liberating and useful. I’d just completed my book and was in getting published mode narcissistically sure it would be the only book I’d ever have in me. The question sounds naive and very silly to me now, but back then I could not imagine what to do next since I was so fully preoccupied with finishing up a true BHAG: Although I had a ton of next action steps lined up, I asked myself, “Then what? Will this be it?”
 
How thrilling to discover what huge capacity we all possess to learn, and to grow. I thought of myself as an organizer and operator before, but now I know those are just a couple of my strengths. Today I think of myself as a culture activator and inventor. I absolutely adore project work and think of new projects constantly. I feel I bloom in pilot projects with value-aligned visions which allow for unspecified outcomes (“Begin with the End in Mind?” Only sometimes, and no longer a requirement). My sense of place, so defining an element in Managing with Aloha, has busted out and taken flight: I love working on stuff collaboratively, virtually and globally.
 
So to sum up, I’ve learned how I learn, why I learn, and how that combination keeps me growing and thriving so I can be a bigger person, and serve others better as a result.
 
Mahalo nui loa Lisa, thank you so much for being part of it all, for you have been, and I fully intend to keep you close! Management Craft, and the mana‘o (belief and conviction) you intentionally bring to it, has nurtured me.

With much aloha,
Rosa

I totally agree with Rosa that writing helps us think and this is why I would recommend a blog to anyone who wants to continue to challenge himself/herself.

From Dwayne Melancon, host of Genuine Curiosity:

I discovered Management Craft when it was about 6 months old – right after I started blogging at Genuine Curiosity.  I’ve been hooked ever since, but it hardly seems like 5 years have past!  Lisa has been a huge part of my learning process, through Management Craft, her books, and – most of all – the interactions all of these activities have created.  Thinking back, here are a few of the learnings that come to the fore:

• Life is a bunch of spinning plates and (no matter much I’d like to) I can’t keep them all spinning.  The art comes in knowing which ones to let fall, and I still have so much to learn before I master that skill.
• Hanging around (physically or virtually) with smart people helps me get better – it’s like they say with sports: you get better faster when you play with people who are better than you.
• Knowing lots of people is great potential energy – the trick is knowing how to tap into it.  That’s what makes great things happen.  Lisa not only knows this, but she knows how to teach others how to tap into the potential of your network.
• The key to a balanced life is in your perspective (and your perspective is within your control).
• I’m really glad the internet exists for me to feed my curiosity – I can’t imagine what I’d do without it.

Happy Birthday, Management Craft!

I love the spinning plate metaphor, don't you? Here's to a week filled with curiosity!

Communications Nimbleness - Kaleidescope Management

I was watching the Sunday Morning Show yesterday when a piece came on about Kaleidoscopes. As they described the nature of the scopes as having infinite views based on the combinations of the pieces of glass and the five mirrors reflecting and refracting the light, I could not help but see the parallel with people interactions. Like a kaleidoscope, every people interface is unique. We are each a different color and shape of glass and our communications and energies are reflected from many others/angles. The combinations are infinite and they never repeat. So, then, what might this tell us about how we train people at work?

I have a class coming up on communication skills for managers. The complexity of people management - or more accurately, relationship management - is vast, fascinating and more of an art than a science. But how will this cosmically charged viewpoint sit with a bottom-line oriented analytical person with a preference for details, fact, things, and clarity? There are few sharp edges with communication and clarity, when it comes to people, is an unattainable goal. We are all wonderfully flawed, dramatic beings with idiosyncrasies that seem illogical or strange to half those around us.

As managers, we are like kaleidoscopes, too. Each of our responses is and must be unique, to respond to each circumstance. And, as the service provider, we are the ones who must flex and teach our teams to flex. Communications classes, therefore, must be heavy on teaching communications nimbleness.

And the next $64,000 question is, how is nimbleness built? Can it be taught? Yes, it can be taught, and I think it starts with better expectations. I do a lot of succession planning work and talk with leaders about their managers. I am amazed how many are seen as meeting or exceeding expectations when they are lousy relationship builders and lousy communicators.

That is just not good enough.

And how about managers who attend meetings but don't contribute/facilitate? A lot of management occurs IN MEETINGS, so that is just not good enough.

And how about smart people for whom few like to work? That is an untenable situation. It is not good enough to be technically smart, and I know we all know this in our hearts and heads.

Communications nimbleness comes from better expectations and then an awareness that it is OUR JOB to be the one who flexes to ensure our communication is received as intended. Let's not give credit to managers who lob poor communication out into the workplace. That would be like rewarding an operations team for getting the widgets halfway down the line - not complete and not out the door.

Our customers - our employees - are waiting for the good management they ordered when they signed onto our team. A one-size-fits-all approach (my way, based on my style) to communication will not work in a kaleidoscope work world.

Management Craft is 5 Years Old - Reflections from Pals - David Zinger & Alexandria Levit - Community Rocks!

Continuing my anniversary "special" guests posts.... Management Craft is celebrating its 5th anniversary this month. I asked several of my long time online pals what lessons they have learned in the last five years (so that I could post their thoughts as part of my celebration). Today I am sharing the key learnings from David Zinger and Alexandria Levit.

Both stress the importance of community. Interestingly, Web 2.0 technologies - online, virtual - can enable broader and deeper communities to form. I have experienced this with Management Craft. Thank you for being part of my community.

One strong indicator of the power of community is the compelling and generous nature of these guest posts filled with lessons. Amazing! Humbling!

Here are the lessons, now. I think that if you read them through, your week will get off to a great start!

From David Zinger:

Lisa:

Thanks for the fine question. In the last five years I have moved from 50 to 55 and have learned so much. Here are my Zingers:

I learned that eventually your children do grow up and graduate from high school.
I learned to be in community and to create community.
I learned that an introvert can use social media to create strong and bonded community.
I learned that the people you get to know online are like old friends when you first meet in person.
I learned to be where I am as often as I can and not let my mind take me away on flights of fancy or fear.
I learned to write by writing more.
I learned that community is no longer governed by place and we can create new community space for any focus.
I learned to do more with less dithering. (See I didn't dither much on this request...just get it done)
I learned about the brotherhood of the rope- we are tied together in results and relationships.
I learned from you to create a 2 week breakthrough.
I learned from Phil Gerbyshak to Make It Great.
I learned from Rosa Say about the power of Aloha.
I learned from Jodee Bock about creating a strong community in Fargo that is both live and wired.
I learned from Steve Roesler to laugh and see a different perspective on the workplace.
I learned so much form so many bloggers that this list would be endless if I tried to acknowledge everyone of them.
I learned that 5 years of blogging is a nice baby step and there is much more to come.
I learned to use the voices of poetry and art a little bit more in my work.
I learned about the phenomenal power of full engagement in whatever we are doing.
I learned that learning never stops and to me learning = living.
Lisa, I have lived my life in reverse. Maybe it has something to do with having a last name starting with the last letter of the alphabet. I was in retirement from 18 to 35. Very good years to retire even if the pension is small. I had a family so I was in semi-retirement from 36 to 55. I needed to make sure that I could look after my children financially while having the time to really be with them. And now as I approach 55 in September I see myself moving into a prolific stage of working from about 55 to 75. It will be learning that takes me on this journey of the next  20 years!

Thank you for the question and Happy 5th Year Blogging Birthday.

You have crafted a wonderful management and personal presence on the web and in person.

Vroom...vroom.

From Alexandra Levit:

Congratulations, Lisa, that's an incredible accomplishment!

The most important thing I've learned in the last five years is the value of community.  Growing up, I didn't have much of one.  We lived in one of those diffuse suburbs about twenty miles outside of Washington, D.C..  My family wasn't religious so we didn't attend a temple, and because my parents were who they were, we didn't have a close knit network of family and friends surrounding us.

In high school and college, I never seemed to be one of those people who fit easily into a clique or a group.  I maintained relationships friendships from all over the place, from the cheerleaders at my school to the drama nerds across town, and for the most part, my friends weren't friends with each other.  Even when I joined a sorority, I often felt like an outsider because I didn't agree with a lot of the house rules and had an itch to break free from what I deemed a mob mentality.

In Corporate America post graduation, I was taught that work friends aren't real friends, and that you have to be careful who you trust.  So while I enjoyed being a part of a team with the same goals, I recognized that we spent time with each other because we were paid to, and I was hesitant to expose my weaknesses and ask for help.

It wasn't until I joined the career advice blogosphere in 2006 that I started to feel that I was a part of a real community of people who shared my interests and genuinely cared about my success.  They welcomed me with open arms and gave away their own knowledge and expertise freely.  They understood my frustrations and celebrated with me when my career slowly started to build momentum.  These were the people who volunteered to  promote my book How'd You Score That Gig? when it was released just a few weeks after my first child was born.  I have never met many of these folks in person, and yet when I receive an e-mail from one of them, I open it and usually answer it immediately.  I try to help them whenever I can.

Since I started writing for the Wall Street Journal earlier this year, I have had the opportunity to meet several high-profile writers and businesspeople who have been enormously successful.  Quite honestly, given how busy these people are, I was shocked at how forthcoming they were with their advice and how generously they gave their time.  Many have offered to sit down in person and provide invaluable guidance to me as I struggle to make a living as a writer and grow my platform as a career expert.  They've introduced me to other impressive people who have added me to their networks as well.

Little by little, I've started to form what Keith Ferrazzi terms a "lifeline group." Although I don't meet with them on a schedule, these are the people with whom I can be vulnerable, candid, and accountable.  They are individuals who are a bit ahead of me career wise and help me strive to be better.  They are my community and I wouldn't be where I am - or going where I'm going - without them.

Kind regards,

Alexandra Levit
Business/Workplace Author and Speaker

Everything I need to know about communication, I learned from my fitness instructor.

 I would like to share a vivid and real example of great communication. All managers and entrepreneurs, listen up! You can learn something valuable from this example about how repetition and variety lead to clarity and performance.

 This Monday I started a new fitness program called Adventure Boot Camp. The exercise classes run from Monday through Friday from 5:30-6:30am for four weeks at a nearby parking lot. About 75 women are participating in my class.

 I signed up a couple of weeks prior to the start of camp, and immediately the communication began. I received several emails telling me what to expect, how to prepare, goals to set and communicate and what to bring. Each email also included encouragement and offers of support. I also attended a free teleconference prior to the session on nutrition where some of the same prep information was shared and questions were answered. I was directed to several handouts on their website.

On the first day of class, I noticed something interesting. Everyone was there, in place, on time, with the right equipment (proper shoes, exercise mat, three sets of weights, water, etc) and seemed to know what to do. The exercises got started right at 5:30 and no pre-exercise talk was needed. Throughout the first session, my fitness instructor reinforced the key messages, what to expect in terms of pain, suggestions to ensuring we did not injure ourselves and encouragement to stick with the program.

Right after the first class, I got another email from the instructor – information, motivation, and an invitation to participate in a free weightlifting techniques workshop that evening.  Later in the afternoon, I got a call from one of the bootcamp team members to see how I was feeling after day one and an offer to answer any questions.

After day two, I got another email, with a link to more information on their website. Some information repeated itself, some was new.

Today was day three and I have received yet another communication aimed at preparing me for the one-mile fitness test on Friday. I have no doubt we will all be ready (and his supportive communication will have reduced some of our anxieties about being tested).

Note: I paid for the program upfront, so none of these communications were designed to create additional revenue for the instructor - they were designed to ready us and to improve retention.

Lessons to learn:

1. People want to do the right things – overcommunicate to create clarity and prepare people for performance.

2. Communicate often and use many modalities.

3. Repeat important information. Don’t assume that people got it the first time.

4. Have some connective/relationship building messages in there, too. Encourage people!

5. Never stop communicating, even if you think you have communicated enough. Never stop.

Extrinsic Motivation - The Dark Side from Dilbert by Scott Adams

Check out this very funny Dilbert comic strip about team awards on Dan Pink's blog The sad part is that it is partially true in many organizations. My regular readers know I have railed against to overreliance on extrinsic rewards in the past. Remember this classic MC post (one of my favorites) from 2005? Which strawberry do you feel like today?

Management Craft is 5 Years Old - Reflections from Pals - Terry Starbucker and Jodee Bock

Last week I told you that Management Craft is celebrating its 5th anniversary this month. I asked several of my long time online pals what lessons they have learned in the last five years (so that I could post their thoughts as part of my celebration). Today I am sharing pearls of wisdom from two of my fab pals - Terry Starbucker and Jodee Bock. I thought they went very nicely together because while they focus on different themes, there is an underlying current that strikes me as consistent and compelling. I know that if you read this post before getting your week started, the thoughts from Terry and Jodee can make a positive impact on you.

I also want to echo something that Terry writes about how using social media has expanded his universe. I feel this, too, and I encourage all managers and leaders to consider giving blogging and such a whirl. Like many of you, Terry is, by day, a leader in a corporation with all the responsibilities that come with this. And yet he is saying that the time he has spent (his own, unpaid time) blogging and building relationships online has been well worth it. Something to consider.

And I love, love, love Jodee's ownership stance and shunning of the victim conversation. We can ALL learn from this!

From Terry Starbucker - His blog is called Ramblings from a Glass Half Full

Lisa - here ya go:

What have you learned - that is most valuable to you - in the last five years (your new wisdom, in other words)?

The learning that has been most valuable to me over the past 5 years is the incredible power of Social Media to shrink my world, forge new and fulfilling relationships, and (literally) make me smarter.

I know that's a lot to ask of a communications medium, but for me, it's delivered the goods, and then some.

All I have to do is take inventory of my sphere of influence, friend list, and knowledge base "pre Social Media" and compare it to now- it's staggering, really.

My decision to start a blog on December 25, 2005 was one of the turning points of my life- it's opened up so many new roads to me, roads I never would have known about if I had not set up shop on Blogger that day.

And the new friends (Ms. Haneberg included)............all I can say is, I've been truly blessed with hundreds of them, all contributing something meaningful to my life.

As for the learning, it has greatly accelerated over these past 5 years because of my Social Media network, and as someone who loves to accumulate knowledge, this has also been good for my soul.

Lastly, I've had a chance to get to know Terry Starbucker because of this medium. And you know what, I think I'll keep him around for a long, long time! :-)

Thanks Lisa, and all the best,

From Jodee Bock - Her blog is called You Already Know This Stuff

Lisa:
 
First of all, thank you for all the wisdom and insight you’ve shared over the years, in your blogs, in your books and in person.
 
With that, thank you, too, for the opportunity to think about your question and participate in this challenge. What I’ve learned in the last five years could fill a library – if I had been wise enough at the time to write it all down! So here’s a short list:
 
1)      That whenever I have a problem in my life, I’m there for it. What this means to me is that it does me absolutely no good to play the victim anymore in any aspect of my life. When it occurred to me that everything in my life that causes me pain or frustration or upset has one common denominator (me), I realized that I do have all the power in the world to change the outcomes.

2)      That looking at the world through the eyes of love has many more benefits than looking at that same world through the eyes of fear. Just ask companies like Yahoo and Southwest Airlines and Zappos. They love their employees, customers, and themselves (and not in a weird way) and they’re not afraid to say it – and demonstrate it. Everything that’s not love is fear, and fear is a very scary 4-letter F word I’m learning every day to transform.

3)      That awareness is the key to making new choices. I can’t possibly do better if I don’t know better; but when I know better and don’t do better, that’s when I’m out of alignment.

4)      That, at their core, people really just want to be “gotten.” Effective communication involves speaking and listening – we probably all know that. But even beyond listening to another person is “getting” him or her at an even deeper level. When I’m really awake, I notice the amazing difference between hearing someone and really “getting” them. And I’m witnessing the results every day when master mind groups offer this space to others.

5)      That results (and breakthroughs) happen “out there,” but not without realizing that everything I need is “in here” and there is no “out there” when looking for answers. I spent the better part of my life searching for THE answer, whether it was to a math problem in school or a response to a boss in my various careers. While I learned a lot from the countless authors and resources, what I’m still in the process of learning now is that I already have everything I need. The trick in this part of my life is to trust and allow.

 
Bock On!
 
Jodee
 
Jodee Bock

Bock's Office Transformational Consulting

Topics Your Management Training Programs Should Address, But Likely Don't

I facilitated a class last week in Chicago and led the group through an exercise where they identified the management training topics that are sorely needed but that are not likley on the list of programs most training departments offer. I told them I would share their list with you and seek your feedback.

What do you think? And if you are a training, OD or HR professional, are you teaching these topics? If not, why not?

The New Management Acumen Development Hitlist (Sample Course Titles)

• Emotional Intelligence - It's About Who We Are, Not Just What We Do
• Self-Awareness and Organizational Awareness
• Authenticity - As a Strength
• Getting Golden Eggs While Keeping the Goose Healthy
• Getting to Why
• Saying No
• Managing Meetings for Managers
• How to Create a Culture that is Your Competitive Advantage
• Questiining the Process - Rducing Low Value Activities
• Managing Up
• How to Execute - Accountability, discipline, Follow-through and Results
• Accountability and Ownership - Two Different Things That We Manage and Increase with Different Management Actions

Management Craft is 5 Years Old - Reflections from Pals - Wayne Turmel with bonus new podcast

Yesterday I told you that Management Craft is celebrating its 5th anniversary this month. I asked several of my long time online pals what lessons they have learned in the last five years (so that I could post their thoughts as part of my celebration). Today's guest post is from Wayne Turmel, the Cranky Middle Manager and owner of Great Web Meetings.

In addition to his post, I have a special treat. Wayne and I met in Chicago last week and recorded an impromptu podcast over a drink. We talk about what's changing in managerial science, the essential qualities of a great manager and the challenges involved in creating strong virtual teams. It's lively and, if I do say so myself, quite evolved and interesting. It was very fun.

Click here to enjoy the podcast. 

Click here to download the MP3 version.

And here is Wayne's sassy and provocative guest post. Thanks Wayne!

What have you learned in the last five years?

Response by Wayne Turmel

Funny you should mention this, because The Cranky Middle Manager just turned
4, and I have been wondering what I've learned. I think the biggest lesson I
learned from two different people (one of whom is on this list) and the
other I seem to have offended since he refuses to come on the show or
acknowledge my existence.

It started with Bob Sutton, and his contention that 90% of all business
books are, and I quote, "crap". Doesn't take much to extend that to bloggers
and the fine humans on this list and in our audiences. On my worst days, I
actually agree with much of that sentiment. Do we all breathe each other's
exhaust? Why is so much of it ignored if it's so obvious to us? (of course I
may have offended him by asking which of his 9 books would qualify as crap,
since by his own statistics they can't all be useful).

As we have all muttered in a moment of weakness, we know that training
doesn't work like it should and if we have the answers, why are we still
trying to spread the same messages after all this time? Really, other than
the words we choose to use, how much difference is there in the fundamental
philosophies of the people on this list? How many times must I ask "can you
teach leadership or is it just ingrained in some people?"  and pretend I
don't know what they're going to say before I slash my own wrists in
frustration?

In short, why do we bother?

But one day I spoke to Rosa Say about Managing With Aloha. As she spoke
about Ho'ohana and other concepts I found myself at first tuning out (oh,
leading with integrity and passion- there's a new concept) then focusing
because she explained it in a way I hadn't heard (I'm a sucker for vowels
and the Hawaiian language is full of them, plus Rosa is just so darned
nice). The unfamiliarity of the vocabulary made me listen to her message and
hear it in a way I hadn't before. It slowed me down long enough for her
message to filter through.

I wish I could say it was her message that slowed me down (she was preaching
to the converted), but instead it was the way it was presented that made the
difference. This was my epiphany and it's stuck with me ever since.

This is a long way of saying here's what I've learned:

The book, or information or blog post is only "crap" if it's either poorly
written or irrelevant. Since quality is seldom the problem with this group,
that leaves relevance. Humans learn from something when we need to. If it's
not on our radar screen we'll dismiss it. The brilliance of your piece on
performance reviews will be so much blahblahblah to someone who has that
skill down or isn't thinking about it because they have something else on
their mind.

If we really need to hear something, we need it to stand out from the other
noise in our lives. We need to hear it in a unique way. What works for one
person will not work for someone else.

I use humor to pry open people's minds (and humor-like pornography- is
intensely personal. What turns one person on or amuses them will not appeal
to someone else the same way). Some people dig it, some don't. Other people
use tools like reason or unique experience- some of you even use your great
talent which I think is an unfair advantage over the rest of us. It will
work for some and not others. To me, "Who moved my cheese" is an insult to
intelligent people- and most mice-  everywhere but I can't tell you how many
people found it instructive. What's crap to me is someone else's lifeline.

Which is a way of saying that we all do what we do in the hope that on any
given day, someone will find us, be inspired or uplifted or amused or at
least find solace in the fact they're not alone or crazy. That's why we keep
plugging. Most day's it enough for me to get up and do it again, and that's
what I've learned.

Thanks to everyone here for your words, your passion and your willingness to
reach out. I have spoken to some of you, have read all of you and am honored
to be let into your collective sandbox and be part of this community.

Don't let the weasels get you down.