How to solve all of your problems using a playground

When in Doubt, Go to the Playground

Phillia (see my post from 2013 for Phillia's intro: Phillia Post) would show up everyday to the office and did the same thing every morning.

He gets his coffee, turns on his computer, says hello to a few colleagues and then sits at his desk. It usually takes five minutes for him to look at his list of tasks and then freak out and walk over to my desk to chat and make some sort of nervous small talk.

I asked one day about his to do list and why he let it freak him out. He showed it to me...what a train wreck! I quickly came up with a solution for him (a stolen solution from Franklin Covey of course). List everything in order of importance. Gut the shit that doesn't absolutely have to be done today. Delegate what you can. Break down the big tasks into smaller pieces. Re order the list. Then start at the top and go from there.

Decide what is important first

Easy, right? Simple you say? Yes, it can be if you recall how much pleasure one gets from keeping it simple.

I think about my kids playing on the little playground in the park we live in. When it is just the two of them out there they are having the time of their little lives. Running around the structure, walking along the wooden border, going up the slide backwards.

And they love it because it's easy and simple, it's pure. It's when three more kids show up that it gets complicated. When two people want to use the slide at the same time. When someone is throwing acorns and someone else doesn't like that. When someone is loud and screaming and another kid gets scared.

Lack of resources leads to conflict

So what do we as adults do in this situation. usually one of two things: we either remove our child from the situation (here Johnny, come play over here with this. Isn't this fun?). Or we try to mediate the issue at hand (Now Johnny, it's not nice to throw acorns at someone. You might hurt them.)

Our issues as adults, whether in the personal or professional world are not much different when you think about them. We have a limited number of resources available to us: budgets, time, peoples' attention, housing, water, that new iPhone that was just released. It's when those resources get scarce or we are in competition for them that conflict arises. I would suggest that remembering the basic rules of the playground might help most of us as adults in resolving these conflicts. For a simple reminder here is a list of the common playground rules in my little part of the universe:

• If it's not yours don't touch it
• Share with others
• Keep your hands to yourself
• Don't pick on the other kids
• Use the playground at your own risk
• Have an adult with you if you are too young
• Stick to age appropriate play elements
• Don't booze and play
• Wear proper footwear

When in doubt

What would happen if you posted that list in your office? Would it stick? Would it matter? Would people actually pay attention and get it?

Maybe at some point I'll actually get into how to promote an ethic of play in your work environment, but for now this is good enough. Just remember, all afternoon should be for leisure and play according to Thomas Jefferson, or was it Ben Franklin?

Either way, go play. Be nice. Share. And when in doubt go down the slide backwards and trust your gut. In the end it's only a slide and you are only playing.

Using the Outward Bound Model in the Office

As a Program Director for the Baltimore Outward Bound Center I often told students that their expedition doesn't truly begin until you go home. Our agency served thousands of students a year and took most of them on five or ten day wilderness expeditions. We would hike the Appalachian Trail, canoe the Potomac River and traverse the streets of Baltimore, MD.

"Outward Bound" is a nautical term that means a ship is leaving safe harbor. It is when the security of the people and places you know and love are somewhere on the other side of the horizon. I used a moment at the end of their program to remind them that it's easy to tackle the world’s problems from the top of a mountain or around a campfire in the wilderness. It's the implementation though of those moments of clarity that matter. To truly utilize what you learned on your Outward Bound course you need to be able to transfer the knowledge you gained into the real world.

The same can be said for the corporate world. Most of the executives and management staff that I have had the opportunity to work with in the wilderness setting will tell you than an Outward Bound expedition is not all that different from the corporate world. There are people that are in your crew trying to complete the expedition with you. You have a place you are trying to get to together over a certain amount of time and often difficult terrain. You can only carry some much stuff in your pack. And no matter what happens, someone always burns dinner along the way.

So as a leader or executive, understanding the Outward Bound process will help you to facilitate and navigate the journey for your team. The good news is that are only a few things to remember when utilizing this theory/process.

First, Outward Bound generally breaks their groups up into what are called crews or watches. These crews include no more than 10 or 12 people. The course instructors encourage and teach the crew members to be incredibly self-reliant in a stressful environment that causes the group to experience some sort of dis-equilibrium. This lack of balance is introduced through the physical environment (ocean, mountains, desert, river, etc.) or the emotional one (problem solving activities, facilitate challenges, solo experience).  

Keep your project teams and work groups small. No more than 10 or 12 folks assigned to any one large task. And keep a "facilitator's" distance. Make sure they know you are there to assist but let them come up with possible routes, solutions and ideas.

Second, the Outward Bound model is based on the philosophy that there is "more in a person" than they often believe. Entrepreneurs and corporate executives should know that by providing goals to staff that force them to stretch just the right amount leads to growth, job satisfaction and usually a healthier balance sheet.

Look for goals and objectives that will push your employees. You want them to seek out new information, new relationships and most importantly new perspectives. If they understand that others in their small group have different skill sets and different assets they will be more likely to engage their colleagues as peers and resources rather than competitors.

Lastly, the OB model requires you to stop, reflect and when appropriate to celebrate. Let your staff and employees know that they have succeeded, that the summit has been achieved. On my Outward Bound expeditions we would plan a more exciting meal one evening, schedule to be somewhere for a great sunset or sunrise as a group, cache some supplies for an impromptu celebration in the woods or other treats along the route.

You need to schedule and be responsible for celebrating when your staff is successful. Look for ways to tell them that they are doing a great job. Bring coffee back to the office for everyone. Schedule an office game or two on a Friday afternoon for them to play. Find a time to meet outside of work for a baseball game, mini golf or an intense game of lazertag.

Most importantly though remember that you are the instructor and facilitator for your crew. Ultimately you are responsible for your crew’s performance and safety. You need to know where you are on the map, what you're going to do if a storm suddenly rolls in, or if the food gets left behind. What if someone gets hurt? Where can you bail out on this river? Are your crew members asking each other the right questions? Are they having fun while they are learning and growing?

While this is an overly simplified metaphor as to how the OB process can help you in the business world the parallels are there for a reason. Hundreds of thousands of young, old, poor, rich, white, black, male, female, able bodied and otherwise participants have found success and something special by experiencing Outward Bound or some other experiential activity.

Good luck in exploring your process and remember that there is more in you than you think.

Music festivals and corporate strategies, one in the same

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to have been a part of a special live musical experience called the Lightning Bug Music Festival (http://www.lightningbugmusicfestival.org/). It was a crazy, special, pixie-dust filled fundraiser that started the ball rolling for a lot of people with some really great business ideas.

That's not the story here though. This story is about my friend George. Well, it's more about what George stands for and represents on this particular day for me. He is an incredibly well respected lawyer in our community and is continually recognized as someone who makes a positive difference in people's lives. He is part of the world that I exist in these days: government buildings, planning meetings, contract negotiations, networking events, service club luncheons, etc. He is not part of the world that I had previously enjoyed: late bar nights, road trips, concerts, boozing in some guy's basement or man cave in the wee hours of the morning.

At the festival that day I saw something I'd never thought I see in George. He was walking through the grass towards the stage and our eyes caught each other. He was glowing. I mean he was absolutely radiant. He had that ruddy red look on his face like he had been out in the sun a little too long. He probably had enough to drink that his wife was definitely driving home and his face had this smile that stretched his cheek muscles out so you knew it would hurt tomorrow in his jaw. He comes toward me with an outstretched hand and that gorgeous twinkle and says, "Walter! Why aren't you doing this here every weekend!" You have to understand that this is the first festival our little park had seen in some years and it was a big deal.

He shared with me how much he enjoyed the day and how our department needed to host events like this more often. He made sure I understood that these things were important in our community. As I said goodbye to George and began to look around the crowd I noticed the collision of universes that was happening for me at that very moment.  All of the people I work with and for: the business owners, the park users, local families, corporate executives and their associates were all dancing and drinking with a group of ratty hippies in shoe-less outfits with hula hoops that wouldn't be too appreciated at my weekly Rotary lunch. And that is when it struck me: my job had become my passion. My vocation was my avocation as I sometimes say.

I soon realized that it wasn't really that hard to get there. I only had to put together three things: good people, good intentions and a little prep work before hand.

People are first and foremost all the time no matter what the objective. Either at a festival or in a business venture making sure that you are with the right crowd is paramount. Heading off to four days at Coachella or Lollapalooza with a bunch of folks that make you wretch is a horrid idea. So make sure that if you are hiring someone, looking for a job or putting together a task force for that next big project, ensure that the people you are going to the "show" with are the ones you really want to be eating parking lot burritos with later.

Next, make sure that you are going (or hiring that person, or firing that person for that matter) for the right reasons. I once hired someone even though every other member of my team was against it. I knew that this guy had the skills that we needed in our organization. Unfortunately my staff all wanted another "yes" person that they were already friends with that wouldn't teach them or question them. In the end it worked out great and the whole group was glad that I made the decision.

The same was true when I went to a New Year's Eve show for the wrong reasons. I went to go chase a girl and ended up not enjoying the show at all. In fact, we had tickets for the next night and ended up selling them because we realized it wasn't what we really wanted to be doing. In both situations: work or at a festival you will enjoy it more if you are doing it because you enjoy being there.

And of course in either world, musically or professionally a little bit of prep work goes a long way. Is it going to be scorching hot all day? Will there be food and water there? Will it be outrageously expensive? Do you have to pay for parking? Do we have all the right resources for our project? Does the timeline seem reasonable? Are we prepared for the eventual hiccups that always occur? Are our goals reasonable? Have we talked with our customers, clients and other stakeholders about what success looks like or what the deliverable's are? Did we put it all in writing? The time spent on looking at logistics and details will save you energy in the end and will ensure that the pleasure of the event itself is appreciated.

So yes, work and business can and should be fun. So go ahead, grab your blanket, lawn chair, picnic basket or whatever else you take to a music fest in your world and instead bring them to your office. If you have the right people, intentions and a little forethought your entire team will be dancing like no is watching. And if you are really lucky George and his wife will be sitting next to you.

To Be a Better Executive You Need to Move

There seems to be a great deal of talk these days about how to be better. Writers, articles and media in general want you to be an improved entrepreneur, a more productive employee, a more loving parent or a more profitable CEO and executive.

A recent article in Forbes says that you need to wake up at the crack of dawn to earn more money for your company. An article in Entrepreneur magazine says you should take an improv class to be a better business leader. Scientific American thinks you need to set the bar high and use the "anchoring effect" to negotiate more effectively.

I have a much easier, simpler and more cost effective way be a better person, boss, dad, friend or entrepreneur. Go for a walk. Yup, that's it. Just put one foot in front of the other and repeat. You don't need any special equipment, join a club, learn a new skill or even try to find some magical hour in your already jam packed schedule to add another item to your to do list. In fact, you are probably ready to walk more but you are so trained to not do it that it takes some time to switch up your habits.

But why you ask, is walking the answer? Well, for one it will make you smarter. The psychological and mental health community has repeatedly shown that aerobic exercise (which walking is of course) leads to improved executive function. Executive function includes such important tasks as planning and organizing multiple things, making quick decisions, switching tasks, staying focused and paying attention...all of the things you were supposed to learn in school but we know you didn't (mostly because you didn't get enough exercise at recess apparently!). If you really want to enjoy a thorough read on the topic you will have to purchase the article though.

Walking will also improve your mood. Harvard Medical School states that prolonged walking (longer than 35 minutes a day five times a week or 60 minutes a day three times a week) can be nearly as effective as medication in treating depression. In their 2011 book, "Exercise for Mood and Anxiety: Proven Strategies for Overcoming Depression and Enhancing Well-Being," Smits and Otto make the case that exercise can reduce the symptoms of anxiety and that prolonged exercise programs can lead to a decline in risky behaviors such as smoking.

But probably most importantly is the notion that walking can improve your sexual stamina and satisfaction. Yes, that's right, walking can make your sex life better. The study is not as exciting as the results but the Huffington Post had a nice write up on it here.

So how do you do it? Start taking the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator. Park farther away from the door at the grocery or department store. Use the restroom one floor up or down from you and take the stairs. Walk around whenever you take a phone call. Take that next meeting as a "walking" meeting. Commit to taking a five minute walk during every hour you are at work. Get off the subway or bus one stop early. March in place while you are brushing your teeth. And my favorite idea? Instead of sending an email walk down the damned hallway and talk to someone instead.

So, stop reading, get up and go for a walk. Your brain, your mood, your belly and your sex life will thank me.

Why should we take the time to be better networkers?

So Why Should You Network? 

The other week I was lucky enough to be sent to Wheeling, West Virginia to join the National Recreation and Park Associations' Revenue Development and Management School. It was generally accepted by the group that at least a portion of the week long seminar was intended for networking and getting to know other successful professionals in the Parks and Recreation industry.

This of course made me think about whether or not the people that paid for us to be there (tax payers) would appreciate that we were there (at least in part) to hang out and get to know one another, often times over food and libations.

In my previous blog post I discussed that fact that networking is a skill. That means that it can be learned and taught to others. It means that you should take a risk on an individual who has little to no networking skill when hiring. I also believe in the notion that networking is a necessary skill in today's business world.

The longer I sat through these education sessions the more that I became convinced that all of this is true.

As a manager (and I don't think it matters whether we talk about public, private or non-profit sector) having the basic networking knowledge and skill sets is incredibly important. A few different situations that came to mind as I learned about generating revenue and reducing costs in the parks and recreation world include:

• Getting recommendations when you are looking for new employees to hire.
• Researching an area or subject with which you are unfamiliar with for a project.
• Getting information about a potential employer before you go on an interview.
• Collecting information about a potential client.
• Obtaining reviews and recommendations when hiring a contractor or consultant.
• Finding colleagues who have already partnered with another agency, service provider or vendor.
• Review results and feedback on a contractor or program provider before you hire them.

Aside from all of these reasons though I heard again and again from my peers how important it was to be able to adapt to the seemingly constant stream of changes in local government.

In other words you need to be able to think on your feet and move quickly when threats or opportunities arise. You need to be able to connect the dots between people, ideas and social situations. You need to be able to make the world a better place. And yes networking does that.

And that is the most important reason to network. By making the right and best hire, by putting the best contractor to work for you, by introducing the next great manufacturer to the next great marketer you might make the world a little better. You will gain credibility by making appropriate introductions. Colleagues will entrust you with information if they know you will use it to aide them. People will naturally gravitate towards you if they know you have a strong network that can support them as well.

If nothing else remember this, networking at its heart is not about you, your rise to the top or the number of LinkedIn connections you obtain. It's all about putting the right people together at the right time. So take a step back, review the how's and now start working on your why's of networking.

What do the LinkedIn buzzwords say about us?

What do our LinkedIn buzzwords really mean?

The day we learned about ourselves from a social network

Today was the annual day that job hunting and the unhappily employed scour their online profiles, resumes and social media posts for overused and seemingly cliched adjectives used to describe themselves; Linked In has revealed the most commonly used words in user profiles for 2012.

"Responsible" was the most often used descriptor and "driven" has somehow replaced motivated in our lexicon.

I am sure that lots of folks have already recognized that "creative" and "effective" will probably always rise to the top of any annual list when describing professionals. Just as I am going to guess that in the next two years the word strategic will more than likely fall off the list; eventually the pendulum is going to swing the other way. We are all craving safety via laws and policies after the failure of the auto industry, the banking system and most recently the budgeting abilities of our federal government. But the increase of regulation and NSA eavesdropping will lead to an eventual desire to cut the apron strings...see the Roaring 20's for more on pendulum swinging.

The thing that surprises me the most though is that "patient" is the most commonly used word in the USA. I am not shocked that we perceive patience as an important virtue at this moment in time. If you want to deepen and develop relationships with stakeholders and customers, if you are trying to make an impact in your community, if you are responsible for healthy product development you need to be possess patience to be successful in the long term. Putting the word in my Linked In description or my resume doesn't jump out at me though as a no-brainer.

Most employers want to know what objectives you will be carrying out, when you are going to do them and they want you to do it before your competitors do. We can fast forward though television commercials. We scroll through Twitter feeds in moments and see all of the day's headlines. Our complete financial information fits on the four inch screen of our smart phones. I am not saying that I support the culture of ever increasing progress but often times folks just don't allow for plateaus and pauses. The world just has a lot of demands and competition is fierce everywhere.

So what do we think about the pressure?

When you walk into some one's office and they are staring out the window while chewing on their pen cap do you think they are working hard? It's quite possible that they are taking the time to make an incredible important decision for their professional company or department. But usually our response to a scene like this is, "get to work. There isn't time to sit around and stare out windows." Being patient can often be mistaken for lack of initiative. We live in an instant gratification world. Patience does not always jive with online shopping and next day delivery.

Most futurists and economists agree that our future workforce will be based on the information and knowledge sectors. In a recent article on Bloomberg.com, a senior consultant was quoted as saying,

"“There’s an assumption that you can do it in one to two years but we have not tested this out to see if the mangers can actually do it,” Roi said. “They have to mature, they have to develop business judgment, integrity, competence, leadership in a very short period of time.”


It takes time to allow people to learn, to make mistakes, to figure things out for themselves. Quite often this process leads to ownership and feelings of investment. While I am surprised to see patience as a commonly perceived attribute in the world of Linked In I am happy to see us embrace a slower world and one where taking the time to build relationships, businesses and quality results is accepted.

For more information on patience and slowness, check out the following links:

http://www.ted.com/talks/carl_honore_praises_slowness.html

http://www.slowmovement.com/

http://www.slowfoodusa.org/

How to network...using social media or not!

How to network...using social media or not!

In the next few blog posts I will do my best to de-mystify the process of networking, define networking, define what it is not, discuss the role of social media and give some tried and true tips and hints at working a room like a professional. 

Let's get started...

So what is networking?

Networking is all about relationship development, creating bonds between you and someone else that will lead to success and improvement for both of you down the road.

Networking is simply an information exchange between you and another person. It involves establishing relationships with people who can help you advance your career in many ways.

Business networking is leveraging your business and personal connections to bring you a regular supply of new business. The concept sounds simple, doesn't it? Don't let that fool you, though. Because it involves relationship building, it can be a deceptively complex process.

Networking is an exchange of information, contacts, referrals and goodwill. Networking leads to new relationships, new opportunities and greater accomplishments.

At its essence networking is about learning. It is about finding a way for you and another person to be mutually beneficial to each other. Because at the end of the day (whether it be a business or a personal day) the only people that what to network with, hang out with you and learn from you are those that you can help become better humans.

Remember, networking happens all of the time. It can be at the lunch table, in line at the store, at a business after hours, at the gym or during your kids basketball game. 

What networking is not?

It is not a transaction. It is not making a sale. It is not about what you can get from someone.

Networking is not a transactional process. 

“It’s the difference between prostitution and a romantic relationship,” as my friend Ursula likes to say. (Follow her at http://www.saquiresearch.com/blog/). In other words if we do it in terms of selling it’s a one night stand.

The goal of good networking is to find and develop relationships with people that you can help and can help you.

So that's it?

Yup, that really is the beginning. Networking is a way to make the world a better place. You can do it everywhere and at anytime. Do not think that it is a sales process or a way to "get something" from someone. The most successful and respected networkers are those that find ways to help colleagues succeed and improve. They help others find connections and a way to improve their process.

So get out there and see if you can identify some times during your day that you could turn into networking opportunities. Begin to take stock of your connections and think of them in terms of how you can help them.

Good luck!