Monday, December 04, 2006

Time to Change Lanes?

FOR THE WEEK BEGINNING DECEMBER 4, 2006

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:
"So is cheerfulness, or a good temper,
the more it is spent, the more remains."
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

THE POWER OF NEGATIVE THINKING!

"If everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane." We've all read or heard similar humorous observations regarding the idea that, when all seems to be going well, it's merely the precursor to some sort of disaster. Unfortunately, many people seem to base their attitudes on that perception and, even more regrettably, they often permit such negativity to influence not only their lives but also the lives of others.
Is it possible you've never been guilty of this transgression? When a colleague made a particularly impressive sale, did you ever say something along the lines of "Well, it'll probably take forever to top that one!" or "Too bad you can't do that all the time, huh?"
Ever told someone going on a trip that you've been there and had a terrible time? Even telling a child who brings home a good report card to "Keep it up!" can lessen the moment, because it implies that the current achievement isn't truly enough or that you fear poor performance in the future. Such statements carry "conditional approval" that demands future accomplishment as well.
One of the keys to harmony, in the workplace or at home, is for everyone to feel good - about themselves and about their accomplishments. The next time you have the opportunity to make a comment, take a moment and carefully consider what you're saying - and how you're saying it. Squash any negativity right then and there.
It's an attitude that's easy to change once you're aware of it and its effect on those around you. Simply put, view the glass as being half full, not half empty. The power of negative thinking can make an even stronger impression than that of positive thinking, so be careful how you wield that power!

posted by The Office Grapevine at 10:38 PM 0 comments  

Monday, November 27, 2006

Acting Like Children!

FOR THE WEEK BEGINNING NOVEMBER 27, 2006

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:
"All I really need to know I learned in kindergarten.”
~ American book title (Robert Fulghum, author)

“The children are watching us.”
~ Italian film title (Vittorio De Sica, director)

BACK TO SCHOOL!
Turns out the children are listening, too. The question is, what are they learning and what are we teaching?

No matter whom we interact with, we should all take some time to reflect upon how our practices are matching up to our ethics and beliefs. We all have the potential to produce a profound effect on the people in our lives, both directly and indirectly. How we choose to act in our encounters helps define who we are: are we good stewards, good managers, good parents?

Consider the language we use when we deal with other people. Those who value power over action will use the language of judgment and superiority: “That idea is doomed..." or "You will never succeed..." or "That project is a waste of time.” Such language only serves to predict its own end and unfortunately, that end is often failure.

Now consider language that recognizes individuality while setting us up as collaborators: “I understand what you want..." or "I can only imagine how hard this is for you..." or "I'd like to help.” As we acknowledge the needs and feelings of others, we have better opportunities to show the same respect we’d expect in return. The encounter becomes a win-win situation.

As we interact with others, a good yardstick by which to measure our actions is to imagine how children would perceive them. Do we play by the rules? Are we being fair? Do we share? Are we doing unto others as we would have done to ourselves? During your next meeting, imagine a seven year old is watching the proceedings. Would you conduct yourself any differently?

Before children start to learn the later lessons of failure and success associated with competition, they first learn to “play well with others.” The politics of the playground still hold some powerful lessons for us, too!

posted by The Office Grapevine at 10:18 AM 0 comments  

Monday, November 20, 2006

FOR THE WEEK BEGINNING NOVEMBER 20, 2006

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:
"Every conquered temptation represents a new fund of moral energy.
Every trial endured and weathered in the right spirit makes a soul nobler and stronger than it was before."
~ James Buckham

UNFINISHED BUSINESS!
Ever noticed how great leaders often come from humble beginnings? From the devastating depths of silence and inability to speak, Helen Keller inspired the world once she had overcome great adversity.

Diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and standing before a full-house crowd in Yankee Stadium on July 4th 1939, Lou Gehrig proclaimed, "I am the luckiest man on the face of the earth! I might have been given a bad break, but I've got an awful lot to live for." He spent the last two years of his life as Parole Commissioner for New York City, hoping to make a difference in the lives of young people in trouble.

Today, we use more contemporary quotes to explain the same concept. We say, "No pain - no gain!" or "When the going gets tough, the tough get going." No matter how we verbalize it, it is true that through adversity comes strength.

Think back to the toughest times you've faced during your life. Chances are you'll have to agree that you grew and became a better person for the experience. As for temptations, they are more easily succumbed to than conquered. Nevertheless, the value system to which you subscribe today probably evolved from temptations overcome.

As Richard Bach put it in his wonderful book "Illusions," "There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in its hands. You seek problems because you need their gifts." Whether it be a physical or moral challenge you face, suffer if you must, but look also for its gift. And remember another Richard Bach quote: "Here is a test to find out whether your mission here on earth is finished: If you're alive, it isn't."

(Originally published October 14, 2002)

posted by The Office Grapevine at 3:20 PM 0 comments  

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

FOR THE WEEK BEGINNING NOVEMBER 13, 2006

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:
"Miracles: You do not have to look for them. They are there, 24-7,
beaming like radio waves all around you.
Put up the antenna, turn up the volume - snap, crackle...
this just in, every person you talk to is a chance to change the world."
~ Hugh Elliott (Standing Room Only weblog, May 6, 2003)

MAKE WAVES!
Many of us don't often realize the profound effect we can have on the people around us, or vice versa. Consider the common example where you're dining out and being served by a surly waitperson, and it's obvious that he or she doesn't want to be there by an abrupt and sometimes downright rude attitude. Although such an individual may not completely ruin our meal, they can make it unpleasant enough that we skip a second cup of coffee or dessert.

On the other hand, we've had servers who were smiling and friendly, graciously conducting themselves as though it were a genuine pleasure to serve us. We then want to relax and linger (and leave a larger tip).

Every day we have the opportunity to affect others in the same manner. We can create a warm atmosphere for coworkers, friends or family with merely a smile and an overt indication of interest. A friend once related that she goes through the day making a conscious attempt to "connect" with everyone she encounters by asking them something personal about themselves, their families, or their work, and then making eye contact to show genuine attention to their response.

There are many occasions when you can set the tone for someone's entire day with a smile and a display of interest. Then you create a "ripple effect," because the odds are great that if you help put another person in a better frame of mind, they will in turn be uplifted and more likely to be pleasant to the next person they encounter.

It's really a very simple equation that results in making a great many people happier. Not a major "miracle" perhaps, but certainly an opportunity to change things for the better. Try it - and you'll find at the end of the day that you're feeling a great deal happier yourself.

posted by The Office Grapevine at 12:09 AM 0 comments  

Thursday, November 09, 2006

Seeing is Believing?

FOR THE WEEK BEGINNING NOVEMBER 6, 2006

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:
"Between you and me, sir, I'll have to see him before I'll believe he's invisible."
~ Lester Cole, screenwriter for "The Invisible Man Returns"

DOES IT STILL FIT?
Scientists have recently reported creating an "invisibility cloak." The device bends electromagnetic radiation around itself, making what ever it covers appear invisible. So far they have only tested the device with microwaves, but the theory may work with visible light, too. In the world of fantasy, young wizard Harry Potter already often benefits from a magic invisibility cloak.

How many of us have wondered what it would be like to be invisible? As children, we marveled at the power of anonymity to create havoc, and imagined listening undetected to forbidden conversations. As teenagers, perhaps we longed for invisibility from the difficulties posed during that stage of life. Then, the fantasy of invisibility was a good and fun one, in the spirit of escapism.

But as adults, does the desire for invisibility leave us? By and large, "grown-ups" view invisibility in a negative light. To be invisible is to be overlooked, unimportant, or even sinister. To be invisible is to be an outsider.

However, from time to time, we all could use a little invisibility - invisibility from the cell phone, from the kids, from being "on call," or just from the chaos of modern life. Sure, the fantasy has changed from when we were children. Now we may just long for an hour during the day that is all ours, with no interruptions.

So, go find your old invisibility cloak and dust it off. Try it on for an hour - and remember just how much fun it is to be invisible!

posted by The Office Grapevine at 2:19 PM 0 comments  

Monday, October 30, 2006

A Tough Teacher!

FOR THE WEEK BEGINNING OCTOBER 30, 2006

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:
"People fail forward to success."
~ Mary Kay Ash

FALLING FORWARD!
It's been observed that although experience can be the best teacher, you get it by taking the exam before you've actually taken the course!

Quite expectedly, many of us don't perform well initially when attempting something new. While there is such a thing as a "natural talent" in just about any field of endeavor, it's probably safe to assume that most people working (or playing) at anything, from the practice of law to the game of tennis, have a long road behind them paved with what they considered (at the time) to be failures.

Every experience we have, however, should be a learning process. And our so-called "failures" are in fact the "experiences" from which we learn the most. Early on in life, the way we gain our sense of balance is from falling down when we first attempt to walk. Every fall, every "failure," eventually led to success.

It's a rare individual who does well in his or her first attempt at anything. Despite Yoda's philosophy in the Star Wars saga that "there is no try; there is only do," most of us ending up "doing" after repeated attempts at "trying." Eventually, we "do" manage to succeed.

So perhaps what Yoda was saying, after all, is that when we finally achieve our goals, it's only the end result that matters - because everything we previously considered failure simply becomes part of the process of success. Then we have indeed "failed forward!"

posted by The Office Grapevine at 11:15 AM 0 comments  

Monday, October 23, 2006

Angels and Devils!

FOR THE WEEK BEGINNING OCTOBER 23, 2006

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:
"God is in the details."
~ Mies van der Rohe, architect

"The devil is in the details."
~ Unattributed

WHAT GIVES?
People often characterize themselves as either "big picture" or as "detail oriented." Truth be told, we need to be a little of both.


Accounting for the details often brings images of sweating over the small stuff. If we've got a good view of the big picture, why fret the details? Whether in an architectural rendering, or for a dinner party, or in a contract, details definitely help transform an idea into a full-blown reality. Just as important, the very thought that goes into those details gives us the opportunity to be creative in our actions. Our attention to "the little things" shows our craft with tools, our skill with clients, or our ability with language.

Some confuse detail with flash, but the simplest building can still illustrate its detailing in how well it is constructed and how gracefully it uses space. A good manager understands how environment, scheduling, praise and celebration can increase morale and productivity.

By not letting the little things slip by us, we are able to gain a much deeper understanding of another person, a job at hand, and even ourselves. Such attention to detail is beneficial to everyone involved, and that's the point.

Forget those details and that's when the devil appears! The Big Picture is an absolute necessity, yes. You've got to be able to visualize your goals. Just don't forget to plan for and paint in not only the necessary details, but also those that that reflect your personality through their beauty, art, and skill. If you can just work it through, you'll find that sometimes your devils are really angels in disguise!

posted by The Office Grapevine at 8:15 AM 0 comments