Greetings!
Welcome to Clear Thoughts from
Uncommon Clarity
Leader Thoughts - You, the Exemplar |
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When headlights flash to suggest that you
turn your
lights on, do you:
- Turn them on quickly and
mentally
send a "thank you" to the other driver?
- Turn your lights on only after
the helpful
driver has disappeared in your rearview
mirror?
- Ignore the advice completely,
convince
yourself you left them off on purpose, and
denounce
the other driver as an idiot?
If your answer is not "a", think about how you
behave when someone makes suggestions in the
workplace. Be honest now. Can you admit a
mistake? Are you able to hear ideas and
consider
good advice?
Anyone can forget to turn their headlights on,
especially now that so many cars do it for you.
Anyone can make a mistake, forget something,
fail to
think something through. Why would you want to
discourage helpful people? Is it so hard to
say "thank
you", to agree to reconsider your position,
and give
credit where credit is due?
If it is, don't expect much from your employees.
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Computer Thoughts - When Irrelevance is Irrelevant |
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I recently read that retail clerks spend 70%
of their
time serving their computers, not their
customers
("Managing in the Next Society" by Peter
Drucker).
Easy to believe if you think of all the time
you have
spent in lines while clerks click and computers
connect, recall, spew, stew and authorize.
If clerks will ignore customers standing
right in front of
them, imagine how computers can devour the time
and energy of workers behind the scenes.
Probably
you don't have to imagine; probably you've
been there
and experienced those finicky appetites where
order of
entry and format are often king, reports are
not quite
right, and irrelevance is irrelevant. And
that is when
the computers are behaving, not when they are
acting
up!
I have seen numerous examples of computer
systems, databases, spreadsheets and lists,
which
despite colorful graphs and exhaustive
reports, have
done absolutely nothing to increase revenue,
decrease costs, or make customers happier. Yet,
once launched, they reign supreme, and the data
must be complete at all costs!
It takes fortitude to abandon these
blackholes but if
you can't point to the payout, it is time to
consider
exactly that!
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People Thoughts - Mental Aerobics |
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Remember when you were young and you ran,
jumped, pedaled, climbed, cartwheeled,
somersaulted, wrestled, and more? Think of
all the
different muscles you strengthened and stretched
daily. In contrast, think of how few you use
as an
adult. Kind of shocking, isn't it?
So we pursue yoga, aerobics, weights, and team
sports in the hopes of remaining physically fit.
Remember also as a child how often you
confronted
new situations, new teachers, new classes, new
schools, new field trips, new sports, new
books, new
assignments, new rules, and more? You were a
learning machine! In contrast, think of how few
variations you encounter as an adult,
especially if you
tend to take the same vacations, relax with
the same
friends, eat at the same restaurants, read
one kind of
book, listen to one kind of music, and remain
in a
steady job for years.
So where is the regimen to keep ourselves
mentally
fit? Where can we find the equivalent of
yoga to keep
our minds flexible, aerobics to retain
discipline and
determination, weight training to stay smart,
and
team sports to help us react quickly and
openly to
other perspectives?
You are surrounded by great learning
opportunities,
both in your own town and farther afield.
But you won't
find them if you hone your routine and avoid the
unfamiliar, the intimidating, and the
confusing. Mental
fitness requires putting yourself in new
situations,
facing new challenges, and listening to new
perspectives. The opportunities are out
there. Are you
taking them?
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Parting Thoughts - Swim or Stand? |
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"In matters of taste, swim with the tide. In
matters of
principle, stand like a rock."
Thomas Jefferson
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If you enjoyed this edition of Clear
Thoughts, please forward it to others who
may
be interested.
Best regards,
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Ann Latham
© 2007 Ann Latham. All rights reserved.
We encourage sharing Clear Thoughts in whole
or in
part with copyright and website address,
www.uncommonclarity.com, included.
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Introductory Thoughts |
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After more than a dozen years of fun and
devotion, I
watched my daughter play her final college
ice hockey
game last week. Never mind all that I'll
miss, I'm
amazed at what she has learned. Kudos to
her coaches who taught the team lessons you
would
love to transfer to all of your employees:
- The
most successful and most enjoyable team wins or
loses together so respect, mutual support and
shared
goals are key
-
Focus on what you can control and don't let
the rest
sap your energy or your self-confidence
-
When you don't do as well as you would like, pay
attention - notice how you think, how you
feel, and how
you act - you have the answers
Uncommon Clarity, Inc. dramatically improves the
systems that make people productive, processes
reliable, and customers happy.
Please contact us for help in achieving
your business objectives.
- Ann Latham
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