Thursday, March 11, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
No Pain, No Gain
My first day in my new job was pretty routine. Talking to the IT folks, getting the computer and phone working, having the first day lunch.
My second day, I was given an opportunity to work on. Something that was mine. This is something that I have not done in awhile. In my old role, I was brought in as an outside advisor. I had ideas. I had influence. But often, someone else made the decision. Now I get to make the decisions.
Making decisions is hard because it triggers fear. What if we are wrong? What if someone doesn't like what we decided? What if they laugh at us? Standard lizard brain stuff, which is why we generally avoid making decisions as long as we can.
But decision making is a skill like any other. It requires practice. And the main way to learn is by making mistakes. When we make bad decisions, we learn from them. And we learn to make better decisions.
It can be painful. But when we look at the pain, we can learn from that, too. We can see that "failure" and "mistake" are just concepts. They are just our thoughts. What can we say of failure or success, other than failure is that which we don't want and success is that which we do?
Jeff
My second day, I was given an opportunity to work on. Something that was mine. This is something that I have not done in awhile. In my old role, I was brought in as an outside advisor. I had ideas. I had influence. But often, someone else made the decision. Now I get to make the decisions.
Making decisions is hard because it triggers fear. What if we are wrong? What if someone doesn't like what we decided? What if they laugh at us? Standard lizard brain stuff, which is why we generally avoid making decisions as long as we can.
But decision making is a skill like any other. It requires practice. And the main way to learn is by making mistakes. When we make bad decisions, we learn from them. And we learn to make better decisions.
It can be painful. But when we look at the pain, we can learn from that, too. We can see that "failure" and "mistake" are just concepts. They are just our thoughts. What can we say of failure or success, other than failure is that which we don't want and success is that which we do?
Jeff
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Inspiration
One of the meanings of the word "inspiration" is "the drawing of air into the lungs." Inspiration can be seen as divine, but it can also be as mundane as taking a breath.
When we breathe, when we simply are, we open to the silence that seems to enhance the possibility of inspiration. But how often can we be inspired? On a good day, we might get five minutes, but as Seth Godin points out in his excellent post, that could be five minutes more than a lot of other people.
Inspiration is a gift, and we have to remind ourselves not to squander it.
Jeff
When we breathe, when we simply are, we open to the silence that seems to enhance the possibility of inspiration. But how often can we be inspired? On a good day, we might get five minutes, but as Seth Godin points out in his excellent post, that could be five minutes more than a lot of other people.
Inspiration is a gift, and we have to remind ourselves not to squander it.
Jeff
Monday, March 8, 2010
Sales and Presence
My new role is a sales role, the first pure sales role of my career.
Most of my career, I have been selling in one sense or another. Many people think that there is something wrong with selling, that selling means putting one over on people, tricking them into buying something that they don't need.
There may be some sales people who are like that. And some of them may even be successful. But I don't believe that you can be successful for long in sales if you are hurting people.
The best at sales are those who are best at identifying and meeting their customer's needs. When we are truly present, we are focused on the prospect's agenda first. We are listening to what they are saying, rather than thinking of what we are going to say next. In this way, the seller's agenda and the prospects's agenda are both clear. Nothing is hidden. If there is a match, we work together. If not, we move on.
But sales at the highest level trancends even that. Sometimes, a buyer and seller working together can create a solution that neither of them could have created alone. On this level, sales is a collaborative art. One that involves trust and vison. One that, I believe, is one of the highest callings.
As I enter this new role, I want to remind myself each day of why I did it. To help people, to create, and to solve problems.
Jeff
Most of my career, I have been selling in one sense or another. Many people think that there is something wrong with selling, that selling means putting one over on people, tricking them into buying something that they don't need.
There may be some sales people who are like that. And some of them may even be successful. But I don't believe that you can be successful for long in sales if you are hurting people.
The best at sales are those who are best at identifying and meeting their customer's needs. When we are truly present, we are focused on the prospect's agenda first. We are listening to what they are saying, rather than thinking of what we are going to say next. In this way, the seller's agenda and the prospects's agenda are both clear. Nothing is hidden. If there is a match, we work together. If not, we move on.
But sales at the highest level trancends even that. Sometimes, a buyer and seller working together can create a solution that neither of them could have created alone. On this level, sales is a collaborative art. One that involves trust and vison. One that, I believe, is one of the highest callings.
As I enter this new role, I want to remind myself each day of why I did it. To help people, to create, and to solve problems.
Jeff
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Recharging the Batteries
I've enjoyed establishing the habit of writing in this blog every day. It gives me a chance to notice what is happening, to think about how I am or am not bringing presence to what I do. And after a month, I think I can say that, at least for me, there is value in doing this.
On the other hand, I am between jobs. This is my chance to recharge. And anything that I am writing this week is not about practice in the workplace, because I am not in the workplace right now.
So I've decided to take a blog vacation until the new job starts. New job, new challenges, fresh material. See you March 8!
Jeff
On the other hand, I am between jobs. This is my chance to recharge. And anything that I am writing this week is not about practice in the workplace, because I am not in the workplace right now.
So I've decided to take a blog vacation until the new job starts. New job, new challenges, fresh material. See you March 8!
Jeff
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Constant Motion
This week, I am off work. My last day at my old job was last Friday. My first day at my new job is next Monday. Yesterday I had jury duty, so this is the first day that I have not had something I had to do first thing.
On weekends, it has been easy for me to relax a bit. To do some reading, review my email, write in this blog.
Today it has not been so easy. I am used to being in motion, but I feel caught in between. It is interesting to notice how much I feel a need to be doing things, to be making some kind of progress. There are things to do around the house. There are appointments to make. And I feel like if I do not do those things this week it will be difficult to do them once the new job starts.
This time, which I thought would be for taking a deep breath, for establishing endings and beginnings, has not worked out that way. So far, it is different than what I expected to be.
What to do with that? I am not sure that there is anything to do, other than to observe what is happening. In this process of change, there will be a new sense of equilibrium. There will be new habits and new routines. And as much as the old job felt like a comfortable shoe, there will be some breaking in that will have to happen with the new job.
Right now, I can only wait. And I must admit, I am surprised with how uncomfortable that waiting is.
Jeff
On weekends, it has been easy for me to relax a bit. To do some reading, review my email, write in this blog.
Today it has not been so easy. I am used to being in motion, but I feel caught in between. It is interesting to notice how much I feel a need to be doing things, to be making some kind of progress. There are things to do around the house. There are appointments to make. And I feel like if I do not do those things this week it will be difficult to do them once the new job starts.
This time, which I thought would be for taking a deep breath, for establishing endings and beginnings, has not worked out that way. So far, it is different than what I expected to be.
What to do with that? I am not sure that there is anything to do, other than to observe what is happening. In this process of change, there will be a new sense of equilibrium. There will be new habits and new routines. And as much as the old job felt like a comfortable shoe, there will be some breaking in that will have to happen with the new job.
Right now, I can only wait. And I must admit, I am surprised with how uncomfortable that waiting is.
Jeff
Monday, March 1, 2010
Morning Rush
I tend to get stressed in the morning. I am used to having a routine, but with an eleven month old and an almost 11 year old who needs to get to school, there is a bit of juggling and flexibility required. I resist this. For some reason, I want to know when I am going to have my coffee, when I am going to shower, when I am going to have breakfast, who is going to pack a lunch, who is going to make my son breakfast. And I get cranky and stressed when I do not know these things. Yet, every morning so far, the things that have needed to get done have gotten done. Despite my stress.
What is interesting to me is that in the work world I am much more flexible. Why is that?
I suppose, like many things, morning flexibility could be a matter of habit.
If it is, it is clearly a habit that I need to work on.
At the same time, though, there can be an acceptance of the feeling of stress. It could just be that mornings are stressful, that a lot needs to happen quickly, and that my feeling that it should be different is only getting in the way. My wife, after all, seems to deal with the morning routine with ease.
It is a paradox, that we can only change the moment when we stop resisting it. As I notice my own feelings of stress, I also see that they are changing and lifting. Accepting stress, or even embracing it, can ease its grip.
The only answer seems to be to accept what is. Even when it is not what you like. For the time being, morning stress can be my practice.
Jeff
What is interesting to me is that in the work world I am much more flexible. Why is that?
I suppose, like many things, morning flexibility could be a matter of habit.
If it is, it is clearly a habit that I need to work on.
At the same time, though, there can be an acceptance of the feeling of stress. It could just be that mornings are stressful, that a lot needs to happen quickly, and that my feeling that it should be different is only getting in the way. My wife, after all, seems to deal with the morning routine with ease.
It is a paradox, that we can only change the moment when we stop resisting it. As I notice my own feelings of stress, I also see that they are changing and lifting. Accepting stress, or even embracing it, can ease its grip.
The only answer seems to be to accept what is. Even when it is not what you like. For the time being, morning stress can be my practice.
Jeff
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