Make yours the job you love...

I’ve met lots of people in my life – students, artists, musicians, academics, clergy, business leaders and professionals, colleagues, competitors, civic leaders and more, and each, in some way, made a mark in life. Some have been hugely successful, others lived simpler lives; some have been good friends, others were passing acquaintances; many I hired and others I just knew of. Each was a somebody, distinct and unique, whose face, name, and story I mostly remember. And all, in their own way, made it in life. Big or small. Alone, or with help. I learned a long time ago that the best recommendation is what you’ve made of yourself – that’s what recruiters look for and want to know. That’s the proof in the pudding, the ultimate behavior of and about you. I tell people that the best job is most often the one you have – the challenge is making it the one you want. Because life is what we make it; always has been, always will be. So, put yourself fully into whatever you do and push on the edges to make it fit your skills, strengths, hopes, needs, and personality. Do the best you can do, and you’ll become the best you can be. That’s how it always should be today.

 

Anna Mary Robertson Moses (1860 – 1961), or Grandma Moses, was an American folk artist who began painting in earnest at the age of 78

Experience all that life has to offer...

We spent the last month with our granddaughters here in the Adirondacks: these two little Las Vegas ladies again got to touch, taste, and see the grandeur of some of our country’s unfathomable variety. Kayaking, swimming, biking, boating, tubing, paddle boarding, walking in the woods, picking wildflowers and berries, roasting marshmallows over campfires, standing in the rain, and going to an old-fashioned county fair were just a few of the many things they did during this summer’s vacation with us. Experiencing life far away from the glitter and glamour of home exposes these two to so much more of the great things that life has to offer. And we get to watch as they develop very different likes and personalities based in part on these annual vacation experiences.  It’s wonderful to spend The Lazy Hazy Crazy Days of Summer with family.  Enjoy all of the variety that life has to offer today.

 

Bryant McGill (born 1969): American best-selling author, speaker, and activist in the fields of human potential and human rights

 

P.S. If you subscribe to my blog, you may have noticed that your daily messages are now being emailed from follow.it – that’s because my site is using this new company to handle its subscriptions (and more). I appreciate all who subscribe and follow the Arte of Motivation – if you haven’t subscribed, please visit www.thearteofmotivation.blogspot.com and consider doing so today.

 

Thanks.

Pitch in...

 

The past 18 months of this Covid-19 pandemic has been a crisis that’s made us forget about all previous ones; in reality, crises are common occurrences in business and each, big or small, is a challenge. Even the ups and downs of a somewhat normal day at work has its share of mini-crises and people at all levels of an organization must deal with them. In each, steady leadership is essential to provide the vision and guidance everyone needs to get by. During my career we had our share of them –deaths, fires, hurricanes, environmental emergencies, floods, robberies, and more were but a few, and in every instance, there was a plan to guide us through. The unpredictability of emergencies can be unsettling … more reason again for a steady hand. And once there was that beacon to work by, those plans were implemented by employees who rolled up their sleeves and got the job done. Meaning working together as a team without gossip or slacking, knowing what to do and keeping at it until the work is finished. We supported them by setting up command centers that were points of contact and information for everyone: timely and clear communication helps steady the nervousness that happens naturally in times of uncertainty. Be calm and clear and help your team get through whatever happens today.

 

Les Hiscoe: American businessman who is President and CEO of the Shawmut Design and Construction company

Be a concerned citizen...

The main thing about a team is its shared sense of purpose, goals, and responsibilities. When I lived in Atlantic City, I took advantage of its proximity to the water and joined a crew team: we’d gather 3 times a week at 6am and be on the water by 6:30, rowing for 90 minutes and enjoying the rhythm of the workout. It was all about being in synch with each other, focusing on the cadence and making sure you weren’t the one who missed a stroke and splashed everyone or, worse, put everyone in the water. That team sport was an exercise in focusing on the here and now. Most other things in life, however, are more about the future and our individual and collective responsibilities for achieving it.  Whether a short-term project at work or other types of long-term goals, the inter-connected nature of those efforts should make them everyone’s concern. You don’t want to be the one who’s actions start the inadvertent ripple effects that lead to failure. Acting like it might every be someone else’s concern is short-sighted and irresponsible. The headlines are filled with the effects of a cavaliere attitude about the future – the continuing impact of Covid-19 and climate change to name a few. Don’t be seen as being unconcerned about the future today.

 

David Andrew Sinclair (born 1969): Australian biologist who is a Professor of Genetics and co-Director of the Paul F. Glenn Center for Biology of Aging Research at Harvard Medical School

Facilitate forgiveness.

There are good times and bad when you work with others. Good times come from the comradery found in shared goals and seeing things through together. Bad times can happen when feelings are hurt by things someone says or does. In the latter instance, people need to clear the air so they can continue working; unfortunately, that’s sometimes easier said than done and the longer hurt feelings are allowed to remain, the harder they are to resolve. We’ve all known people who can never admit a misstep, misspoken word, or mistake, and others who know the importance of apologies and forgiveness. But if people don’t have it in them to apologize, the damage it does to the team and its individual members can be painful to watch or live through. I bet you’ve been there – I know I have. And even though it’s hard to say I’m sorry, it’s the right thing to do … for you and those you work with. Because if you haven’t any charity or forgiveness in your heart, you’ll have the worst kind of trouble – heart or otherwise. Lingering hurt feelings and disrespect go right to the heart of performance, productivity, and the work environment. Whether through policy enforcement or coaching, leaders need to assist in resolving issues like these. Admit your mistakes or forgive those of others and move beyond them today.

 

Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (1903 – 2003): British-American stand-up comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer, dancer, athlete, and author 

Be a team builder...

You don’t often think that famous musicians have highs and lows: the truth is, we all do. Being in a band, like any group or team activity, is a tight rope act of trying to maintain your individual self while being an integral part of the whole. That’s also true at work: the hard and low times put the high ones into perspective and make them that much more enjoyable. Lots of companies today are struggling with pandemic-related staffing shortages caused by a myriad of challenges: in times like these those that are employed appreciate the colleagues they have and the full teams they’ve been a part of in the past. Now is a time for leaders to talk about those times and how each employee should value their colleagues: this will help promote retention now as they continue to find new recruits to fill open positions. And leaders should encourage every employee to welcome and mentor new recruits to make them more quickly feel a part of the team: that’s how great teams are built, in good times and bad. You can help new recruits learn the ins and outs of the job, the company's shared values, the things that make up its culture, and the ways employees support each other. Make team building a part of your leadership plan today.

 

Joseph Michael "Dusty" Hill (1949 – 2021): American musician who was the bassist of the rock band ZZ Top for 50 years. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004

Keep a can-do mindset...

These past 18 months have been difficult for everyone: most of my clients were closed and my consulting partners and I weren’t able to see any of them in person. But rather than think about what we couldn’t do, we found ways to do other impactful things. We stayed in touch with our clients and provided coaching and mentoring to keep them engaged and ready for when they would be able to reopen… and helped them to stay focused on what they could, rather than couldn’t, do.  We posted 120 short and timely management lessons on Facebook Live about the challenges of managing during and through a crisis (like a pandemic) … and found a broad audience for these messages.  We started an online training company called Tiny Classroom Training that will offer soft-skills courses that managers and supervisors can take anywhere, anytime… and are getting ready to launch later this year. And we partnered with academicians and consultants in Europe who were involved in researching Emotional Intelligence as an important skillset needed by managers and supervisors in this post-pandemic era… and conduced an online symposium for leaders eager to learn how to be more effective. During challenging and uncertain times, it’s natural to cautiously wait and see what might happen next; but as a team we knew that 2020 wasn’t the time to do that. Always think about what you can do with what you have today.

 

Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961): American novelist, short-story writer, journalist, sportsman, and Nobel Prize winner in Literature