Make the most of what's in your control: that's what people will remember about you...

Whatever you are, it’s mostly on you. You own it. Although there are many external forces at play in our lives, dealing with them, handling them, and shaping how they affect you is pretty much within your control. You mustn’t ignore them – there’s something to be learned from everything. You can’t really change them – they are what they are, so take the time to understand them. You shouldn’t try to embellish them – take them for what they are. And try to make the most (or least) of them – after all, they are part of your story. Emphasis on your. Whether it’s your career, your life, your hopes, your fears, your wishes. The more you own the more you can get the most out of them. And your life. Take this just past summer – was it what you wanted it to be? Yes or no: it’s yours. Your health – it’s yours. I could go on and on, but you get the gist of this. Take control. Own it. Write your story and it's ending today.

 

Casandra Brené Brown (born 1965): American social worker, academic, and podcaster.[1]

 

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[1] She is the Huffington Foundation's Brené Brown Endowed Chair at the University of Houston's Graduate College of Social Work and a visiting professor in management at the McCombs School of Business in the University of Texas at Austin. Brown is known for her work on shame, vulnerability, and leadership, and for her widely viewed 2010 TEDx talk. She has written six number-one New York Times bestselling books and hosted two podcasts on Spotify.

 

Find ways to love your job...

On this Labor Day, make it your purpose to find a job you love. As is often the case, it’s the one you have. Your challenge is to make it the one you love. Starting today.

 

Helena Rubinstein (1872 – 1965): Polish and American businesswoman, art collector, and philanthropist.[1]

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[1] A cosmetics entrepreneur, she was the founder and eponym of Helena Rubinstein Incorporated cosmetics company, which made her one of the world's richest women.

 

It's good to be prepared...

I think leaders should be reliable – to me that means you know what to expect, that their approach and approachability won’t change with conditions or moods. So that you have confidence going in that the conversation will be about facts, not personalities. I was talking to someone last night about this as it related to my working with Bobby Baldwin – he made it his business to know the business of those that reported to him so he could add value to discussions with them. That part was predictable. What wasn’t predictable were the questions he asked – those were based on his deep knowledge and understanding of whatever each of his direct reports were working on. Meaning we had to work extra hard to be prepared for them. Forcing us to be better. I loved the challenge – it motivated me to work harder to be prepared enough to be able to answer him. The good news: he never thought less of us if we didn’t know something, knowing that would inspire and motivate us to work harder to be more prepared the next time. He knew that if everyone was a prepared as they could be it improved the overall performance and effectiveness of the organization. It wasn’t a game; it was his way of motivating us. Try that approach with your peeps today.

 

Michael William Krzyzewski (born 1947): American former college basketball coach nicknamed Coach K.[1]

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[1] He served as the head coach at Duke University from 1980 to 2022, during which he led the Blue Devils to five national titles, 13 Final Four appearances, 15 ACC tournament championships, and 13 ACC regular season titles. Among men's college basketball coaches, only UCLA's John Wooden has won more NCAA championships (10). Krzyzewski is widely regarded as one of the greatest college basketball coaches of all time

Make every interaction count...

I bet your calendar is filled to capacity – for some reason we think that the more we do reach day the better we are as leaders. Wrong! Force yourself to book time for preparation and reflection – two of the most important tasks of any leader. Getting ready for the next meeting is nearly as important as the meeting itself, and usually helps get the most out of it. And taking time afterwards to jot down some thoughts and to-dos helps ensure that it’s put into the proper context and sets up all appropriate follow-throughs. Skip these two important steps and you run the risk of not being as effective as you can and need to be. Whether at work or in life, slow down and be prepared today.

 

Benjamin Franklin (1707 - 1790): American polymath: a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher, and political philosopher.[1]

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[1] Among the most influential intellectuals of his time, Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States; a drafter and signer of the Declaration of Independence; and the first postmaster general.

 

Make the most of the cards you're dealt...

One of the things I’ve learned is that no matter how much I’m hurting, someone is hurting worse. The challenges I face sometimes seem insurmountable, but others have a bigger hill to climb. When I cut the tips of my fingers off, the surgeon assured me that it could have been so much worse; at that moment I couldn’t imagine that anything could be worse than what happened to me. But since then, the people I met at physical therapy and in online groups have shown me what so much worse looks like. No matter where you are on a spectrum of good to bad, it’s less about how you compare and more about how you approach it. Because no matter what, things get better. Same with the work you do – it’s not about the ups and downs but rather how you approach them. Whatever challenges you face can be overcome if you look closely and think clearly. You never want to throw your hands up and walk away – it’ll be there when you get back so you might as well put on your thinking cap and take care of it. Look for a way, not a way out today.

 

D.L. Weatherford: American author, speaker, and podcast show host.

You can't say enough about dependability...

a·bil·i·ty

/əˈbilədē/

noun

      1.    possession of the means or skill to do something.

      2.    talent, skill, or proficiency in a particular area.

 

de·pend·a·bil·i·ty

/dəˌpendəˈbilədē/

noun

1.     the quality of being trustworthy and reliable.

 

Throughout my career in hospitality HR, attendance was the #1 cause of progressive discipline and reason for termination. Given that, most hospitality managers would agree with today’s quote. Because an employee’s performance – their talent, skill, or proficiency, is either enhanced or diminished by how trustworthy and reliable they are. So, while it’s good to assess a candidate’s skills and abilities during an interview process, it’s equally, if not more, important to assess their attitude – like optimism, flexibility, and resilience. The ones that predict whether they are trustworthy and reliable. Whether they’ll come to work and diligently approach their duties and responsibilities every day. That, I suggest, is possibly more important that if they can perform as expected. Why? Because you can’t teach attitude – people either have it or they don’t. If they do, you can teach and coach what’s needed technically. If they don’t, you’re apt to be disappointed. You’ve just got to learn what to ask and look for. That’s what I did for the more than 125,000 employees we hired during my tenure and it’s one of the main reasons our annualized turnover was under 10%. I’ve said it many times before, and I’ll say it again: hire for attitude and train for skills today.[1]

 

Robert Anson Heinlein (1907 – 1988): American science fiction author, aeronautical engineer, and naval officer.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_A._Heinlein

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[1] If you want to learn more, contact me at arte@sdwnet.com

Your word is your bond...

We’re judged by our promises. Not so much by the things we say – that’s why ‘talk is cheap’. But a promise is a personal commitment no different than a contract – in that light, we must be careful what we promise. That said,

·      “It is OK to say 'no': you may be questioned why so it’s always good to have a reason.

·      It is OK to say 'I will think about it': just don’t forget to do that and always get back to the one to whom you made the commitment.

·      It’s OK to say ‘I’ll try’: make sure to follow through and keep everyone updated.

But once you promise something, do it. If you subsequently can’t follow through, make that known immediately to everyone concerned. But it’s not just actual promises that this applies to – if you say you’re going to do something, promise or not, the person to whom you said that thinks it’s a commitment – and most people consider them the same. Maybe it’s a gray area, but to the people relying on you, it’s not gray at all. It’s all about being dependable – if you say you’ll do something, do it. If you subsequently can’t, speak up immediately. And it’s all about common courtesy – someone is relying on you and others may be relying on their reliance on you. Stay in touch with them, provide updates, make sure there are no surprises. This is one of those areas where talk is NOT cheap – so don’t be cavalier when someone is relying on you and your word. More than many other things in life, this is the stuff of reputations: don’t blow something off if someone is relying on your word. Keep your promises today. 

 

Izey 'Victoria' Odiase: Self-Care & Personal Development Advocate.