The Difference Between Good and Great Work

One of the ways that I've mixed up performance reviews this year for my team members is to recommend a book for summer reading.  For most, this year's book is Michael Bungay Stanier's Do More Great Work.

If you're not familiar with Stanier's work, he happens to be a friend of David Allen and has as his homebase Box of Crayons, a creative group that helps folks do less good work and more spectacular work.

Stanier describes three types of work: bad, good and great. Bad work is that which is demeaning.  Good work is like emptying our your inbox- it's very important but at the end of the day, may not determine the difference between being effective and doing what Stanier calls "being lit up".  While good work is better than bad work it can become a default level of "ok" which could crowd out truly great work.

It's great work that ultimately stretches us and gets the most out of us.  A unique project, a fear conquered, a moment of true creativity, a conversation that is meaningful- each of these (and obviously much more) could be considered great work.  Very subjective here and that's the point.

Marcus Buckingham talks about this kind of valuable labor as being "strength-based".  It's that which you might look forward to, lose yourself in and cherish after the fact.

Which projects can be considered GREAT this week?  When you emerge next weekend, which will you look back on and cherish for their deep value?

My Impressions of the iPad and How it Will Impact Education

These are times in which the market is saturated with new gadgets and advances in technology.  Every week, new tools come out which promise better entertainment and some level of value-add to everyday living.

Interestingly, only a few of these gadgets ever stick long enough for folks to get excited.  Tivo comes to mind.  So does the iPhone which brings us to this post.  Before I talk about my impressions of the iPad, consider how amazing it is that millions (tens of millions?) of people around the country even know about the iPad much less care about purchasing one.  Apple's marketing prowess is broader than any other company, even Google.  It's a machine which gets fanatics more emboldened and those on the fringe curious.

I was a true-blue PC guy up until a year ago.  Now I can't imagine going back.  With three Macs and an iPhone, I can honestly (and I'm not even kidding) say that my life is better as a result.

On to the iPad.  We purchased several through work as a demo for how we think we'll be using them with admissions and recruitment.  We are really excited about the potential that the iPad brings to the world of education.

Let's first review how those in education are plotting their own interaction with the iPad:

• Seton Hill will be giving each student an iPad


• Apple is offering schools a discount on bundled purchases of iPads


• A Minnesota school system is investing over 250K into iPads for students


• Princeton has temporarily banned iPads from its network due to Wi-Fi and IP address problems

My impressions:

1. The screen is lovely. Yes, it picks up a lot of fingerprints but so does the iPhone.


2. The device is a bit heavy. If you've used a Kindle, the iPad will feel somewhat bulky.


3. The speed is delightful. Even with the WiFi version, it's very snappy.


4. The App Store for iPad has a long way to go. Still too many apps to make the iPhone to iPad conversion leap.


5. Accessories are a must. Like the slippery iPhone, you'll want a case for the iPad, not only to protect it but to make it easier to hold.  I'm concerned about how I'll transport the device. It's very holdable but as to how it will travel, we'll have to see.


6. Battery life is impressive. You can drag a full 12 hours out of the iPad. Very nice.


7. Keyboard is difficult to use. I'm hesitant to write this because I had a hard time, initially, with the iPhone keyboard but unless you're in landscape mode, the keyboard is pretty much about hunting and pecking.  As someone who types 75 wpm, I'm struggling with the keyboard.

I was shocked when I read Michael Hyatt's post about the device.  He compared it to the Segway- remember those?  I understand why after having used it for a few days.  It's truly impressive and yet I'm not sure how I'll use it in the long term.  In the meantime, I'll enjoy its beautiful design and continue to explore its potential.

What are your initial thoughts on the iPad?

Try-It Wednesday: Pray Out Loud

In the past two months, I've had the opportunity to work with a local priest on an interesting project.  As the official religious leader within the group, he is often asked to pray before our meetings.  Remarkably, we all listen in and learn from him as he prays out loud.  You literally feel as if he's speaking with God and you get to watch.

How about you?  When was the last time you prayed out loud?

A year ago during Lent, this was my very goal: to pray more often out loud.  Now I don't mean to interrupt people or just start praying out loud in public.  What I found was that there are many (yes a ton!) of moments when I'm by myself and have the chance to pray.  These include:

• Waiting in line


• Commuting


• Getting ready in the morning


• Walking to a meeting


• Working alone in my office

Not to generalize, but the Protestant tradition is often really good at praying out loud.  For Catholics, not so much.  But everyone can and you may be surprised at the benefits which to me include: greater intimacy with God, a better prayer life, and the social benefits.

By social benefits, I refer back to my priestly friend.  We as a working group are learning from him as he is praying out loud.  You might create the same effect with a group that you are asked to lead in prayer.

So on this Wednesday, try praying out loud.

*photo by nimble photography

Two Years Ago on TDS: 8 Random Facts About Me

While I rarely go back and read older posts, this one caught my eye.  "8 Random Facts About Mike St. Pierre" is entertaining if nothing else.  My colleagues at work often comment on my huge list of cousins- strange but true.

A Year ago on The Daily Saint: Meetings and More Meetings!

A year ago on The Daily Saint we were dealing with the issue of meetings- here's the link and my two cents on getting more bang than buck from a meeting.  Enjoy!

Follow Up: my new job has me meeting for several hours per day so even I enjoyed reading this archived post.  It is a good reminder that precise follow up and detailed preparation are still the best bookends to a good meeting.

Olive Garden, Immersion and You

The secret is out- Olive Garden is one of America's greatest passions.  After all, "when you're here, you're family."  A pretty clever spin line from a parent organization that also oversees Long Horn Steakhouse and Red Lobster. The result is a nearly $4B empire that keeps getting better and better.  And you thought that it was just the all-you-can-eat pasta bowls.  Actually, there's quite a science to making OG such a hit.

One of the techniques used by OG management is the use of overseas immersion trips for selected employees.  Olive Garden's Culinary Institute of Tuscany includes 14 lucky employees who have demonstrated exemplary workplace performance.  They spend a week in an Italian village and learn how olives are harvested and pressed, how fine food is made and how to create a dish of their own.

Imagine if your organization did this as well.  Is there a partnership that you can strike up?  Can you afford to send a group of leaders to another location for a day or two for learning and insight?  Can you afford not to?

We are exploring the possibility of partnering with a school from PA.  If we could set up an annual exchange program with 3-4 teachers from their school and 3-4 from ours, the benefits could be tremendous.  The key linkage, as with Olive Garden, is the passion for the product.  As OG employees love Italian food, so our employees are passionate about Catholic education.

It's worth a shot.  What can you do this week to promote immersion or people-exchange?

*Photo by William Hartz