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Colleagues,
MVP: Conduct an informal culture check by asking three questions. Indulge me. Please, by answering three questions. Fall is winding down, and I’m wondering… What has gone well? Have there been any surprises? Is there anything the organization could be doing differently? I hope you actually reflected, and that it felt good. Now is a great time to take an informal check on your organizational culture. Keep it simple, short, and sweet by going around and asking people these questions:
Then just listen. If you can’t keep your mouth closed you may ask “could you tell me more?” as a follow up. If you discover anything meaningful, I’d love to hear about it. You can email me here. Today’s intention: Ask the questions! Cheers! Frederick
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Colleagues,
MVP: Good ideas can become great ideas when diverse people come together to discuss them. I do not enjoy social media and I feel like I’m wasting my time when I’m on it, even for my business. However, every so often something good happens on LinkedIn and someone posts something truly valuable. Oddly enough, the value doesn’t lie in the content of the post, it lies in the content of the replies. A good post will stimulate discussion, in which diverse people offer different interpretations, modifications, or questions. The result is something new, and usually better than the original. I have great ideas, but you and I together, we can have greater ideas! Much greater. Today’s intention: Think about opportunities for sharing a concept that would allow others to add to it. Cheers! Frederick Colleagues,
MVP: Priority management requires resisting distractions. I can get very distracted by shiny objects. If I was a dog in the park, that wouldn’t be a problem. But I am a business owner. Shiny objects have been detrimental to my business, and resisting them is a constant challenge. I have three big priorities right now:
Everything else is a distraction. I wish I had a magic formula for staying focused, but the only strategy I can offer is to repeat “stay focused” 25 times a day. Today’s intention: How do you stay focused on your priorities? Cheers! Frederick Colleagues,
MVP: Simple circle activities can promote many voices. In 2024 I will facilitate 16 workshops for governmental and non-profit leaders in Western North Carolina (WNC). At the end of each of those workshops, we will form a circle and share one of the following:
I set the stage, but the participants create the circle, physically and metaphorically. The cognition and emotion are different each time as participants create the circle’s meaning anew each time. This is so much more powerful than “thanks, see you next week.” The circle creates the opportunity for co-creation. Want to know more about circles? Lyndsay Lyons and I dove into co-creation on last week’s episode of The Assistant Principal Podcast. It is a wonderful episode in which two laughing friends discuss serious stuff. Today’s intention: Think about how you can use your leadership to provide opportunities for others’ voices to be heard. Cheers! Frederick Colleagues,
MVP: Instead of selling your vision, try helping others build one that will endure even after you are gone. One of my secret peeves is hearing people exhort leaders to “sell the vision!” I hate that saying because it implies you are selling your vision. What’s wrong with your vision? Three things:
What’s the alternative? Build a collective vision that will endure after you have gone, one that expresses the aspirations of the stakeholders. And if you aren’t convinced, consider this: Most people who have already been through multiple leaders will not purchase your vision, or – worse – will pay with counterfeit money. 🤑 Today’s intention: Just sit with this one today. Cheers! Frederick |
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