Everything has a time

As I was looking at our tree that is slowly dying from the top down, it reminded me that everything has a time. This tree has been on our property for about 25 years, which is apparently the typical life expectancy of these poplar trees.
I found my mind wandering how this analogy fits with business. In business there is a time for everything… there is a time to make changes, and a time change could be damaging. There is a time to be patient, and a time to boldly persist. There is also a time to try something new and a time to wait.
Have you ever tried to initiate something in your business before the world was ready for it? What about trying to keep something going (a product, service, etc.) that clearly had its day?
How do you stay on top of trends in your field of business? How do you ensure that you are beginning and ending at the appropriate time? The timing is perfect for something…what are you going to do now…because everything has a time?

A room with a view

I have an office with a great view… at least in the summer time. One of my favorite places to work is what I refer to as a room with a view- the porch at our cottage. Surrounded by chirping birds in the trees on either side, and the osprey and pelicans in front of me in the lake, one would think I would be distracted. Well you are right, so I have created a summer work schedule that gives me the best of both worlds. I work for an hour then play for an hour. This schedule maximizes my time, and keeps me inspired. Obviously this room with a view is only suitable for several months in the year. It does constantly remind me of how important it is to personalize your work area and create a work schedule, the best you can, that works around your energy.
What do you do to keep your office inspiring, a place you like to be? What three actions could you take to make your office help you optimize your productivity and your creativity?

What are we teaching our children about Communication and Mindfulness?

A couple of months ago I was at a community meeting whereby several mothers and grandmothers were sitting behind me with the two young children. These individuals chatted throughout the speaker’s entire presentation, causing many to turn around; dart glares and several sitting with in ear shot continually “shushed” them. Several times the presenter asked the audience to avoid side bar chatter so everyone could hear the discussions.
The ironic part was that at the break, one of the mothers was attempting to ask her child something. After numerous attempts, she loudly said “Pay attention to me now! Are you listening to me?” What was so interesting was that the child modeled what the parent had done to the other speaker- she was not listening, not attentive, and found it frustrating. As we all returned from the break, I noticed a number of people had moved to the other side of the room, to perhaps avoid the chatter, and the mother said to her mother, “geesh, that drives me nuts when the kid won’t listen!”
Unfortunately the “ah ha” didn’t reach this lady at that time, as she continued to chatter, even after the presenter addressed it with her. I still got a lot out of the presentation, and went home full of learning, both from the presenter, and the woman who sat behind me.
The reminder was “what is your behavior saying about you?” and “what is your behavior teaching others about how they treat you?”

Sink your teeth (or talons) into something GOOD

Last year, Christopher got this great picture of a hawk on the mast of our sailboat. From watching this hawk, Christopher said “it’s just waiting to sink it’s talons into something.” What is it that you are exciting about sinking your talons (or teeth as the saying goes) into this year? We are more than half way through 2010 which means, time is ticking quickly to accomplish those BHADs (big hair audacious goals). Be like the hawk… be still and watch. Be still and wait... and when you are prepared and have your goal clearly in sight, dive into it. Hawks do not procrastinate when they are at the top of their mast (like being at the top of your game), they skillfully apply action.
Wishing you a “top of the mast” week!

Traditions

Every summer, we look forward to seeing the two beautiful blue herons that nest on the beach close to our cottage. They have been nesting here since 1994 when we bought the property. Somewhere along the line we named them Max and Taz (not really knowing which was which but it only seemed appropriate that these two amazing birds who entertained for hours, have a name). They do more than just entertain us; they represent a sense of tradition.
What are you doing in your business life, and personal life, to maintain traditions and retain corporate knowledge?

Persistence

Being at the lake is such an inspirational place for writing, and offers such great reminders about business. Today Christopher and I enjoyed watching a hawk and osprey fishing.
As we watched from the deck, we were amazed at the patience and tenacity of these two birds as they zeroed in on the fish in the water, spiraled then dove into the water gracefully. When not successful, they continued the process without taking short cuts. Their persistence eventually paid off. In business, and in leadership roles, following this model can get us further ahead. Often when at first we don’t succeed we give up, or, try and find a short cut. The short cut sometimes just results in wasted time and energy. Next time you are circling around your goal, follow the lessons of the hawk and osprey:
- Accept that it might take repeated efforts to achieve the goal
- Be strategic, seek the most direct route to your goal
- Don’t rush
- Celebrate your efforts as well as your success

What IS the secret to happiness?

I am sure we’d all love to know the secret. Dan Buettner is the author of a great new book titled “Thrive- finding happiness the Blue Zone ways.”
Buettner interviewed a number of experts and community members in different parts of the world to understand what makes people thrive, experience longevity, and stay happy. He discovered that the concept of happiness is more complex and complicated than the concept of longevity. He summed up his fantastic research and travels with two powerful insights, those being:
• Our brain’s hardwiring is one challenge in being authentically happy. We seem to remember the highs and lows of the events in our life, and as such, our memories are not always accurate. We often spend time and energy pursuing material items that we hope will fill a void, or make us happier.
• Our exposure to “the contemporary life” (media, commercials, photos, etc.) shapes what we pursue to keep us happy.
So then, what is the secret to happiness, according to Buettner? He suggests that when we change our environment, we increase our happiness. Buettner summarizes six Thrive Centres such as your workplace, your social life, your community, and encourages us to set up our life doing the right things in each of these Thrive Centres, instead of chasing things that provide us momentary happiness.
Looking at the Thrive Centre in a workplace, how can we inspire happiness, longevity and a thriving environment?
• Ensure you take vacations (without being plugged in)
• Monitor how many hours you are working, strive for greater harmony between work and home life
• Optimize your work area
• Share a skill and learn a new one

Leadership Lessons from Loons

On the weekend, my husband Christopher and I went onto the dock at our cottage to investigate the odd bird noises coming from the lake. Initially we heard the beautiful call of a couple of loons which was quickly followed by what sounded like flapping wings and frantic loon calls. We were delighted to see two adult loons teaching two little loons to fly (or attempt to fly). The lesson was incredible. First, the two adult loons modeled rapid wing flapping which the little loons eagerly attempted. When they seemed to have passed the first test, the two adult loons began flapping their wings again and then took off running; literally, it looked as if they were running on the water. The two little loons were quick in pursuit. The faster the wings flapped, the noisier they were. Squawking and calling, the two big loons then took flight. The two little loons continued running across the lake but didn’t make it in the air. As we continued putting the boat together, a few minutes later we heard frantic calls, which we soon discovered were two lonely and afraid loons in the lake. After about five minutes, the two large loons came to the rescue, and the flying lessons ended for the day.
As Chris and I worked together to get the boat ready for a sail, I reflected on the leadership lessons from these loons:
• Model the behavior you wish to see others display, or the skill you are teaching,
• Allow time to practice and move the skill to the next level
• Remember that those learning do not always take flight the first time
• Don’t leave people in the middle of the lake to sink or swim

What puts the wind in your sails?

What a great weekend, a couple of friends joined us at the cottage on the lake to take in some sun, sailing and great conversation. As I watched Christopher sail by with my friends on the boat (so I could take some photos) I was thinking that there are many things in life that put the wind in my sails, keep me energized and inspired:
• Healthy, supportive and committed relationships
• Being near water and in nature
• Interesting conversation
• Learning
• Time to do absolutely nothing
• Curiosity
• New challenges
• Opportunities to be creative
• Being of service to others
• Making a difference

What puts the wind in your sails? What keeps you inspired, and energized?

Wants and Must Haves in Business—What’s the Difference?

“Humans have the remarkable ability to get exactly what they must have. But there is a difference between a ‘must’ and a ‘want. ” By Jim Rohn
In my earlier days as a mediator and conflict management specialist, we helped individuals in conflict understand the difference between a want and a must have. When people are in conflict, they often present their position as a want (“I want___ or I don’t want___”). A want is often one person’s solution to a problem (their position). A must have can be understood as an underlying interest and typically addresses some sort of fear, priority, value. People tend to argue positions (wants) however, when we communicate from the perspective of our underlying interests, we discover more about the other individual, understand the reason their need is so important, and often identify shared interests or needs. When shared interests or needs are identified, creative options for solutions seem to surface.
Three steps to take to clearly communicate your needs (must haves) and interests:
• Speak about what you Need, not what you Don’t Need
• Provide an example, or explanation so the other individual understands your rationale
• Ask questions to the other individual so that you can understand his/her underlying interests