Image Credit: Keep Out Experiment In Progress by Steve Jurvetson via CC by 2.0
In last month's 10 Minute Challenge about breaking the incremental change trap, we looked at ways to disrupt your organization's mindset of incremental change. This month we will take the same concept and apply it to ourselves.
Image Credit: Image used under CC0 Public Domain
I love improvements.
I like talking about improvements. I like brainstorming new improvements. I like collecting data to measure existing improvements. In fact, you could say that I'm an "improvement guy". But amidst all of this activity, there is a common trap that improvement oriented people like me often fall into: we only think about incremental change.
Image Credit: "5 minutes to midnight" by Markus Grossalber via CC 2.0
This month's 10 Minute Challenge just may change the way you approach your job and your life.
I regularly hear the the word's "I didn't have time" used by my coworkers. Several years ago, I vowed to remove that phrase from my vocabulary, and so I did. After that, each time I hear those words I cringe a little. What I'm really hearing is someone lie to themselves and those around them.
Image Credit: Superman Card Game by Whitman (1978) - Green Kryptonite by Mark Anderson via CC by 2.0
In my opinion, Superman is one of the most insanely powerful comic book super heroes. Basically, he's invincible. Since he cannot be beat, Superman comics tended to be very dull comics. It's like watching Real Madrid demolish a 5 year old soccer (football) team in a scrimmage. There is no drama because there is no suspense about who's going to win the battle with Superman.
Image Credit: go towards the sun by piotr mamnaimie used under CC BY 2.0
I admit it: I'm a repeat offender. I didn't realize I was making my wife upset and causing unneeded arguments until she pointed it out to me. What was I doing that was unintentionally undermining my communication with my wife? Simple, I was repeatedly using two seemingly innocent English words that should be removed from everyday speech.
Unsurprisingly, I discovered I wasn't using these words only at home, I was using them professionally as well. For this month's 10 minute challenge, I'll show you what I did and how you can quickly stop destroying your credibility when you speak.
Image Credit: Image by thetaxhaven used via CC 2.0
I was at a dinner parter recently when a bumped into a man I had met once before, but whose name I couldn't recall. Have you ever experienced the awkwardness of knowing you've met someone previously but the person wasn't interesting enough for you to remember their details.
While I was quickly trying to recall where we met, he walked up to me and said "Hi Mitch, great to see you again" and then he preceded to shake my hand. I was impressed. I had assumed that he couldn't remember my name either. Instead, he knew me and he was confident and friendly. Immediately my opinion of the man increased and subconsciously I was primed to be receptive to his ideas and suggestions.
For May's Monthly 10 Minute Challenge we are going to look at why names are so important, and three tips you can use immediately to gain an edge when dealing with employees and colleagues.
What makes you "you"?
Perhaps that question is a little vague. To be more specific, what internal and external forces have worked to shape your life and your accomplishments? Our current lives are the products of our past experiences and choices. No one that I know simply fell out of the sky and was instantly who they are today. Instead, every single person I know is reaping the rewards, or paying the consequences, for choices made in their past. ...
If you own an car, do you pay someone else to change the oil in it? Except for a few hardcore enthusiasts, most automobile owners I know pay others.
Why? Why would they spend $30 USD on something that, if skipped, will cause no immediate damage?
The answer is simple: because it will cost you so much more to fix it later. Investing in your professional skills is no different.
Monthly 10 Minute Challenge - February 2015
As a leader, you are constantly working through others in your organization. As you are likely aware, one extremely common way of working through others is to delegate tasks and responsibilities. We will discuss delegation in more detail in future blog posts, but for this Month's 10 Minute Challenge we are going to zoom in on times when you are delegating tasks (in comparison to delegating entire areas of responsibility). ...
It is important for me to keep a clean and uncluttered kitchen. My wife and I cook a lot and having things spotless and organized greatly increases the efficiency and enjoyment of the time I spend in my kitchen. Each item has its proper place that is intentionally chosen based upon when it's needed and how it's used. ...
