Sometimes, Productivity Isn't Enough

About two weeks ago, something weird happened.  After a very productive week, I went home on a Friday afternoon feeling somehow unfulfilled.

My todo list was solid.  I had used my Daily Plan day after day as I have for years.  (You can grab a copy using the form below.)

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My quarterly goals, inspired by other practitioners, were in place.

Why was the weekend, ordinarily a delight, seemingly ominous as my week wrapped up?  

My life coach was very helpful after we talked about it.  His point was simple enough- you need more than productivity to feel happy.

I turned to Patrick Lencioni's book The Advantage, for some perspective.  Alignment is about "connecting with your why".  Patrick puts it this way, "Great leaders see themselves as Chief Reminding Officers as much as anything else.”

A great leader reminds the team why they do what they do.  

This affirms why the best companies are truly mission-driven.  Millennials more than any other group remind us of this.  Younger workers crave purpose more than just the hacks to shave a few minutes off their next meeting or the keys to getting to inbox zero.  

My own "hmpf" on that Friday was fairly normal after all.  After I had made sense of it, I decided to revisit my quarterly goals and my own mission statement.  These would, no matter what, inform my productivity.  I was resolute.

The weeks afterwards were markedly different.  The productivity remained but this time was animated by something deeper.  

When you feel fragmented or empty and you've been producing solid work, there are a few things you can do to reconnect with your own mission and purpose:

1. Spend some time alone.  Get with your thoughts and write.  Why were you feeling shallow?  What is it about your work that you enjoy?  What part of it bothers you?
2. Get away.  It may be time for a day off or a vacation.  If you've been running on empty, you just may be tired.  If so, stop working and recharge your batteries.
3. Seek the advice of someone you trust.  Maybe you just need to talk to someone without being judged.  For me, seeing my life coach is invaluable and encourages me to reconnect my work with my mission.

Productivity isn't enough.  Connecting your work with your why, now that's where the magic happens. 

What My Non-Smartphone Taught Me About Life

I'm a techie.

I admit it- if it's new, shiny and requires a power cord, I'm interested.  If Apple makes it, I'm looking for my wallet.

For better or worse, this "trait" has been passed on to my children.  They know the value of data.  They routinely look for wifi in public places.  They are a chip off the old block...

And then something serious happened about a month ago: we ran out of data.  This was cause enough for a Family Meeting, which of course the kids hate.  Bear in mind that not ten years ago, this concept (losing data) would have made no sense at all but in 2016, data is a big deal.

We see data as a right, an entitlement and a part of everyday life.

I was traveling for work that month and needed to use a lot of data and returned with two weeks left in our billing cycle with (gasp!) very little data to spare.  Since we have a family shared-data plan, this became a family problem.

We shut down almost everything that would consume data and by the end of the month, just made it with .07GB to spare. Phew!

But you know what?  Those two weeks with basically zero data taught me a few things.  First, I learned that most of the stuff I do on my phone is kind of lame and going without it was no big deal.  So I can't check Facebook?  Ok.  So I can't see Instagram updates when I'm at the grocery store?  No big deal. 

And, even better, I learned to daydream.  I learned to be bored again.  To stare out the window and watch stuff.  It was nice.

As it turns out, my not-so-smartphone without data taught me a great deal.  It made it easier for me to unplug and just be with my family and friends.  It taught my kids the value of margin and open space. 

One final thing: it taught me that Facebook and Instagram aren't nearly as interesting as I had previously thought. 

Here's to the simple things in life... With or without data.

Why Knowing Your Why is a Potent Career Move

I recently presented to a group of executives about my school and how we are approaching secondary education.  The meeting went extremely well but an overwhelming thought was evident on their faces as if to say, "why exactly do you do what you do?"  As a layman who has four kids and a busy schedule, they wanted to know what lay beneath the surface.  They wanted to find out what makes me tick.  

Great question!

It's the question that we all need to ask from time to time- why do you do what you do?  In other words, what's motivating you right now?  

Richard Rohr has something to say about this as he frames the discussion in light of one's "why" for getting up in the morning.  

Why do you do what you do?  It might be for any of the following reasons:

• to make more money
• to afford a larger home
• to get a new car
• to climb the corporate ladder
• to make a difference
• to make the best use of your gifts and talents

The most successful people are clear on why they do what they do.  They find it easier to say yes to the right opportunities and no to the wrong ones.  Their careers look impressive because they are impressive people, resolute on their life's purpose.  

As I write this, it's the final few weeks of December, 2015, the perfect time to reflect and discern your "why".  Know your why and your way will become more and more clear.

6 Ways to be a More Grateful Employee

I don't know about you but I appreciate people who demonstrate gratitude. The catch, of course, is that too many of us don't.   Like the story of Jesus in the New Testament when he heals a number of sick people, not all return to say thank you.  

Bosses can relate to this.  It's not that employees are ungrateful.  Rather, it's that they rarely connect things back to the boss.

Here's a classic example: the Christmas bonus is ultimately approved and determined by your supervisor or boss.  Yet, when the gift arrives, very few people see the bonus as having come from the boss himself.  As a result, hardly anyone thanks the supervisor at Christmas time.  

Kind of a weird dynamic.  Nothing personal from the employee to the boss, just how it is in most organizations.  

The bottom line is this- bosses like grateful employees.  I know that I do and I try to show gratitude to my bosses as well.  

Since all of us are employees in one way or another and gratitude is a lube that can accelerate your career up the corporate ladder, here are six ways to be more grateful at work:

“Joy is the simplest form of gratitude.”

— Karl Barth

1. Thank your boss if and when you receive a holiday bonus.  This can be as simple as an email or just stop by her office and say "thanks". 
2. Tell someone outside of your work about the benefits of your job.  By verbalizing something positive about your job, your own gratitude will expand on a personal level.
3. Commit to ditching complaining.  It's easy to complain about your boss, about your workload or even your workspace.  The good news is that each of these is probably better than you think (and conversely not nearly as bad as the complainers might believe) and by choosing to stop complaining, your gratitude will gradually expand.  
4. Make a list each day of the things you're thankful for.  This can be in a digital journal or even via Instagram posts spread throughout the week. 
5. Tell someone else at work that you're thankful for them.  This doesn't have to be awkward and a simple "thanks" goes a long way.
6. Spend some quiet time thinking about the postive ways that your work enables you to make a difference.  I find that Thanksgiving and Christmas provide both a lot of noise and great opportunities to reflect and be thankful.  Work, even when imperfect, is a real gift.

Being grateful makes sense.  It makes you more attractive as an employee and sets you apart as a humble and hard worker.  

Five Ways to Become a More Detail-Oriented Person

This past weekend my daughters and I headed to one of our favorite spots, The Great Swamp, located here in northern New Jersey.  We filled out a sheet of paper for the little one, trying our best to find spider webs, mushrooms and frogs.  It was an hour of unhurried bliss, completely attentive to every little detail of the Swamp.

Details are like that- they are really important and often overlooked.  If this blog post is filled with typos and errors, you probably wouldn't return for a second visit.  Worse yet, you might feel as if the effort going into the blog doesn't meet your standards.

We make these conclusions with people as well.  As it turns out, there are at least three things that interviewers notice in job candidates.  We meet someone and immediately form a judgement based on such small details as their clothing or tone of voice.  I once interviewed a man who was late, had dirt under his fingernails and hadn’t flossed in some time.  Needless to say, he wasn’t hired.  

I like this piece about the kinds of things that detail-oriented people notice, including:

1. What people wear for clothing: i.e. a red tie implies strength.
2. Body language: A strong handshake indicates confidence.
3. Improper grammar: You want to build your vocabulary via more frequent reading.
4. The big picture: Detailed people understand context and perspective.
5. Patterns: i.e. “I have a pattern of getting along with my bosses”, etc.
6. Things out of place: Detailed people recognize when a room is off-kilter or when a meeting is missing a key person.
7. How much is left: Whether it’s time or money, detailed people have a good sense of “enough”.

These are the indicators of people who are detail-oriented but how do you develop that muscle?  I suggest five ways:

1. Get in touch with your faith.  Your relationship with God, cultivated over time, will enable you to be more heartfelt, more of a listener and more appreciative of your surroundings.  My faith in Christ (and I am happily Catholic) is not only the source of all I do but the engine behind noticing the many wonderful details around me.  The more often you can pray, the better.
2. Get outside.  Nature is the best classroom for noticing details.  The more time you can spend outdoors, the better.
3. Read more.  Authors are masters of inserting small details into otherwise complex storylines.  The more you can read, the better.
4. Create a home with less noise.  Cary and I have four kids and lots of glowing devices, from iPhones to tablets.  Still, our kids know that certain times are meant to be quiet like during dinner or early in the morning.  The less noise, the better.
5. Create a workspace with fewer interruptions.  I had the opportunity to interview Tim Metz whose company is dedicated to fewer interruptions at work.  The less interruptions, the better.

It’s worthwhile to try to be more intentional about who and what is around you.  Pay attention to them in every way.  In your daily journal writing, take note of your own personal details like how you are feeling, what makes you happy and what you're anxious about.  

Over time, simply by paying more attention, you'll start to notice even the smallest of details.  For whatever strange reason, I have an uncanny ability of noticing when someone gets a haircut.  I've learned how to compliment people on their haircut and they love it.  They love being noticed, just like you and me.

Emergent Leader Podcast Episode 12: Terry Hershey

When was the last time you took time for yourself, to pray, think and just "be"?  Best-selling author Terry Hershey was my guest for Episode 12 of Emergent Leader Podcast.  To say that this was a thrill is an understatement!  I've looked up to Terry for years as a sort of "virtual mentor".

Terry's Sabbath Moment newsletter, which arrives each Monday, is excellent.  Better yet, his new book, Sanctuary: Creating a Space for Grace in Your Life is now available.  I've started reading it and it's absolutely great!  

Terry and I discuss ambition, prayerfulness, why it's important to pause in the midst of a busy day.  His deliberate manner is both humble and inspiring and I think you'll absolutely love this cast.