Management Craft

Keep it Simple - Reflections from Scotland

Bill and I spent the last 10 days in Scotland. Hiking in the highlands, discovering ancient pubs and little known whiskies, and soaking in the Scottish way.

I am still jet lagged but I want to make sure and remember one important impression, even lesson. Simple can be good. We can say and do this in many ways. It happens when people choose to be picky/deliberate about a few things that are important but then being flexible about most everything else.

For example, one of our drivers was formerly a head chef. But he and his wife wanted to live in a particular small town. If you want to live in a small town, you might need to be ready to take most any job. The life is the ends that justifies the means.

Here is another example. We stayed at a small Inn owned by two art lovers. The place was cool and inspiring. It had other quirks and more than a few imperfections but was beautiful and felt oddly complete and right.

The grocery stores offer fewer options, but always a few interesting ones.

Life can be hard, but instead of trying to engineer all the hard out of it (strikes me that this would be the American approach, to tackle it all), they embrace it and build strength where it is most needed and important.

A good day is one that ends with a lively conversation with mates and a wee dram of fine whisky trickling to the back of our mouths. Warming our day and fueling contentment.

Simple works well. I am learning this lesson late but am glad I am learning it. If we choose what's important - if we obsess in the direction of our interests - then we can reduce a lot of stress and worry about things that don't matter - should not matter - can't be affected even if they do matter.

It's time to do fewer things and do them well. Really. I mean it. This is something we say but few of us do this well or are able to sell the idea at work. We should try harder and try again. I was talking to a leader a couple of weeks ago about this. He made some offhand comment about how doing fewer things well is a nice concept but a fairy tale. I assured him I was serious and made the case that it's the only thing that might really work - spreading our efforts so thin that there is no depth does not work and we know it.

I enjoyed Scotland a lot. I dig the vibe. The honest way of living and how each person sems driven by a couple of priorities, but not too many. 

I'm talking about @rajsetty @stevefarber @tonyschwartz and others tomorrow

Just another reminder to plan on attending the webinar I am presenting this Wednesday. Here are the details. It's free, it will be fun, and I hope you will attend. I will mention some of my favorite ideas from Raj Setty, Steve Farber, Meg Wheatley, Tony Schwartz, Mark Murphy, and David Weinberger.

Here is the official title of the webinar:

“Five Earth-Shattering Topics for Management Development That I Learned From My Friends"

Sign up to attend HERE.

Date: September 12th.

Time: 1:00pm eastern.

Cost: FREE!

Grab your PB&J and Monster and join in.

Are you a statistic or an outlier?

I was reading a post from a friend and want to share this line from his post:

"I am not just a statistic, provided I do what it takes to be an outlier."

I love the way he put this. It is so true, too. Are you being - I mean being, like how you are living in this moment - a statistic or an outlier? What are the outliers doing that is different? This is a provocative question and one we can all learn from.

Sometimes I feel like I am being - acting in this moment - like an outlier. Too often, though, I am like many.....floating along, living more in "wishful thinking" mode than "gettin' her done" mode.

As someone with big goals and vivid dreams - I would serve my intentions well to align my actions a bit better and ramp up my clarity and focus.

As someone living with cancer - I would serve my goals well to not let time dull my resolve and commitment. I must admit I feel like the last couple of months have not been my best in this regard.

I love the way my friend put this personal challenge out there - actually it is a simple acknowledgement of what is. Today's outcomes are the result of yesterday's actions. Today's actions will generate the future. Let's make sure our future is filled with amazing surprises, positive breakthroughs, and outlier outstanding performance.

I am doing free webinar for #astd, 5 earth shattering #management insights. Sign up today.

And before you think that living in the big state of Texas has made my head swell, the five earth shattering ideas are not mine - they are big insights that I learned from my smart pals (all of whom are also management experts and fond of riding on the edge - I will reveal their names during the webinar).

Here is the official title of the webinar:

“Five Earth-Shattering Topics for Management Development That I Learned From My Friends"

Sign up to attend HERE.

Date: September 12th.

Time: 1:00pm eastern.

Cost: FREE!

Who should attend: All managers, leaders, management developers, OD people and HR people. Anyone who reads this blog, for sure. You!! Go on, now, sign up.

During this webinar, I will share five management insights that ought to be at the center of our development plans or programs, but that likely aren't. And here is what I mean by earth shattering:

• Counter-intuitive - we are likely doing, thinking, or reinforcing the opposite and going in the wring direction! Yikes! Course correction needed.
• Often not associated with management - sometimes we think management is something it is not and fail to recognize what it really OUGHT TO BE.
• Catalytic - the idea has the potential to be a serious game changer. Creating new realities like this - POW! BAP! Zowy!

This will not be a boring bullet point webinar - no way. ASTD asked me to do a webinar and I pitched this idea because I knew it would be fun and insanely useful. They eagerly played along and I think that is pretty cool.

I hope to see you online next Wednesday and I hope to rock your managerial world. Tilt on your axis and spinning in new directions toward the bright light of the double sun galaxy. (Not to be confused with a double rainbow).