Category: Uncategorized

Having a sense of wonder, being open to the world, spurs creativity.

In his new book, Tracking Wonder: Reclaiming a Life of Meaning and Possibility in a World Obsessed with Productivity, Jeff Davis challenges conventional thinking.

Here are Jeff’s five highlights from his book.

1. Wonder is multifaceted: openness and curiosity, bewilderment and hope, connection and admiration
2. Wonder is not kid’s stuff, it’s radical grown-up stuff: choose wonder to reclaim your childhood spirit
3. Follow your curiosities instead of your passion: find fulfillment by exploring something that may even be a bit quirky
4. Fertilize instead of flee from confusion: a sense of wonder can help us see things beyond our habitual patterns
5. Open up, instead of size up, other people: “wonder is the quiet disrupter of unseen biases … momentarily dissolving our habitual patterns of seeing and thinking”

You can read more detail on Jeff’s 5 highlights here or pick up a copy of his book to really dig into the transforming concept of wonder.

To learn more about the power of music, read Why Music Is The Essential Ingredient.

As you think back on 2021, think about your work. Are you a stressed out people manager? In just the last year, the burnout for people managers increased from 28% in 2020 to 35% in 2021.

This research from Gallup is upsetting to read but not surprising – with the ongoing global pandemic, supply-chain shortages, remote work, new Covid variants, rising inflation, political unrest etc., we are living though very challenging times. This affects us and the people we manage at work. As I am sure you have heard, mental health issues are at an all time high and there is a record number of us quitting our jobs.

This article highlights the challenge and provides some ideas. The first thing is recognize this is a real issue that could be affecting you and your team(s) and put energy and resources behind addressing it. Read on to learn more.

To learn more about the power of music, read Why Music Is The Essential Ingredient.

I am grateful for a lot of people and things, one of which is music – all kinds of
music. Growing up in a big musical family, music unified us and filled us – from the Grateful Dead to barbershop to opera and everything in between.

This article, written by Frank Fitzpatrick, talks about how music can make you be more resilient, creative and compassionate. What most struck me is the healing powers of music, brought to life by the story of Emmanuel Jal.

The author wrote: “Whether the sweet song of a sparrow at dawn or the celebratory roar of a Beethoven symphony, music is a form of energy — a life force — that resonates at our core. In addition to shifting our own energy on demand, the right music can help us organize our thoughts, stimulate our bodies to move and reset our emotional state so we pass through the stresses of our day in a more relaxed, productive and inspired way.”

To learn more about the power of music, read Why Music Is The Essential Ingredient.

The message I got from this fairly new book, Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman, is that we all have an opportunity to look at time, and our relationship with time, differently. It’s a bit more philosophical than the typical time management book. We can learn to be more at peace with time, especially when we realize it is finite. The title of the book brings that statement to life since four thousand weeks is the amount of weeks you’ll experience if you live to about 80 years old.

Promoted by The Next Big Idea Club, here are the author’s top five insights from his book.

1. There will always be too much to do: we do not have an infinite amount of time, so prioritize what really matters
2. Distraction is an inside job: feel the discomfort to do what matters rather than wasting your time
3. Patience is a superpower: slow down to the speed the activity demands, do not rush through it
4. A plan is just a thought: a statement of intent because you really don’t know what is going to happen, be open and curious
5. You’re not such a big deal: think about what meaningful means, and be comfortable with the fact that you are already doing meaningful work
   

Here’s a link to book on Amazon

When I read this brief story from Thrive, I thought of my client “Lisa” and many others I’ve know over the years who fight back in a way that works for them.

I find it so empowering when we realize we can make a choice, that we do have power and don’t need to settle. It is so easy to cave and
feel stuck or trapped. The thing is, when we do that, we shrink.

Read How I Found My Gutsy and get inspired by a young woman who owned her power.

As you can imagine, procrastination is a common topic in books, videos and articles. Another topic worth addressing is multi-tasking. Multi-tasking is a myth.

How to Give Each of Your Tasks Your Undivided Attention is an article from Thrive that is a compilation of various ideas on how to stay focused and not multi-task. One of my favorite tips: Give yourself time to procrastinate. That’s exactly what I did today, I’ve been mulling over today’s topic for several days until time literally ran out.

Another favorite is the TTT method, give yourself Time to Think. I’m working with a creative director at an ad agency who was lamenting that he and his team need time to create. Give yourself time to __________ (create, think, do nothing), it is so important.

Read on for more ideas.

When looking for a job, owning your value is critical. This article talks about your Personal Value Proposition (PVP), and how to build one when looking for a job. I would argue that even if you are not in the job market, being crystal clear about what drives you professionally has a ton of value.

The example given by the author is quite interesting, but I’m not really sure why he said: “Steve is a tall, 54 year old manufacturing executive.” Why comment on his height? I thought that was odd.

His four steps to building your PVP, however, were quite useful:

1. Set a clear target: big company, small, remote, public, private,start up….be specific.
2. Identify YOUR strengths: Again, be specific. What are you really good at? The Clifton Strengths Assessment can help.
3. Tie your strengths to your target position: Connect the dots for the hiring manager, make it obvious that your strengths ladder up to that position. Make sure your resume mirrors your strengths to.
4. Provide evidence and success stories: I call these your case studies. Bring your strengths to life in a tangible way to prove to the hiring manager that you are the right fit for that job.

For more details, read on.

What if we could intentionally work to build trusting relationships? I enjoyed this Thrive article that talks about granting trust because it is hopeful, and we can all use a little hope right now.

Written by Mike Robbins, he talks about the opportunity to consciously build trust, which will result in deeper connections, cooperation and collaboration in our personal and professional lives.

This quote from Albert Einstein says it beautifully: “The most important decision we make is whether we believe we live in a friendly or hostile universe.” Eternal optimist that I am, I’m going with friendly. Read on.

Listening is such an important skill. We can probably ALL get better at it.

Here is a short article from Angela Duckworth, one of my favorite authors and a teacher at UPenn. She finds she spews a “hydrant of facts” at her students when she is teaching, trying to share every possible idea related to a topic.

Her insight? Ask “authentic questions” so that she can listen to her students and hear from them. “The more we can let them (students) unmute themselves, express themselves, and actively engage rather than passively receive, the better.”

Actively engage versus passively receive. It’s the engagement that matters. Authentic questions, according to the author, are questions for which their is no simple answer. They stretch you.

Whether you are teaching students, managing a team or talking with colleagues, ask questions like “how has that impacted you?”, “what do you think about X?” or “what else?” to learn from others. Then, really listen to what they have to say.

Take time to learn something new about the Olympics that just ended a few days ago. You will be fired up after you read various lessons about age, resilience and using your voice to make a difference.

Of the eight lessons, “Don’t be afraid to try something new” is my favorite. After dancing throughout high school, then moving to track and field, Discus Gold Medal Winner Valerie Allman first tried throwing the discus just to get a dinner invitation! And now she has a gold medal. Impressive. Try something new, learn, keep growing.

Read Eight Leadership Lessons From Women Olympians Competing in Tokyo from Fast Company. It will brighten your day!