A key to continuous improvement is an open sharing of information.  There are a number of contexts for providing input, spanning from the very formal to the informal (and all stops inbetween).

Within an organizational framework, whether personal (e.g. a family heirarchy) or business with defined roles (e.g. boss, subordinate, colleague) the way input is provided often depends on how it is recieved.

In situations where a boss is observed to regularly shoot the messenger (even if they don’t see it themselves) the information flow dries up.

I am surprised how often I have sat through group meetings and the leader asked for feedback, just to be met with silence.

Facilitators

Years ago it became very popular in Corporate and other public organizations to call the leader of a meeting or training session a facilitator.

This derives from a recognition that a key sucess factor in working sessions is open exchange of information.  Consider sessions focused on increasing knowledge (training), arriving at solutions to issues or working out ways to improve processes or practices ,  The facilitator is a key catlyst to achievement of the desired outcomes.

Facilitators are charged not with judging or forcing decisions but rather guiding participants to a result.  They are accountable to ensure it’s clear that all participation, all input is important and valued.

The underlying key to good facilitation is receptivity without judgement.

All input is valued

Whether in a formally facilitated session, a routine team meeting or even just a family huddle, successfully gathering input from others requires 100% application of open reception.  Value everything, even if your initial reaction is “oh god” what are they thinking?

This is the only way to ensure others ideas keep flowing.

A number of years ago my wife and I moved from Toronto, Canada to Edmonton.  We  recently become empty nesters before the move and decided to houseclean.

We engaged a company called 1 800 Got Junk to take away our garbage.   The cost was $600 per truckload, basically a load was the size of one of those industrial waste containers you see on building sites.

We filled five truckloads ($3000) and still moved enough stuff across the country to fill a 1700 square foot house. I am almost embarrassed to tell this story.

Why do we need all this stuff?

Each week we collect the garbage at our house.  Things like discarded packaging, food leftovers and broken or old junk items.   This is almost two bags a week.

I suppose it is a rhetorical question, but I ask myself ” Where does all this garbage come from?”

Over the last several years my wife and I have been actively practicing waste mangement.  While donation for reuse and recycling are key one of our key tenants is reduced accumulation.  The theory is, If you don’t aquire stuff, you won’t have stuff to throw away.

I would love to say all these things work well.  I am sure there is some benefit, somehow though the garbage keeps appearing.

Everyone in Canada benefit from the things our governments use taxes to pay for.  That applies whether you actually pay taxes or not.  (For example an infant that probably has no income and does not directly purchase things)

Income Taxes

One of the major source of tax revenue in Canada is a percent of income.  This can be personal or Corporate income.  The tax also applies to virtually every type of income although lottery winnings and gifts are tax free in Canada (this is not an universal principal internationally).

One of my pet peeves is the taxing of some. benefit income.  Things like free or subsidized parking costs, insurance benefits, personal health funding.

I find taxes on money I never actually recieve (for example the value placed on parking at your workplace).  In these case tax is collected on the assessed value of the benefit allocated even though you never actually see the money but the tax amount is deducted from your earnings.

What about a head tax?

This type of deduction happened to me recently and it gets me thinking about tax reform.

I have long been a believer in a head tax to replace personal income tax.  Corporate, sales property and other existing tax methods could remain but the possibility to lower them would exist.

A head tax is very simple and exceedingly fair.  You take the unfunded government spending (after those other tax types I mentioned) divide it by the countries population and that is the tax due from everyone.  Simply put, every head in the country pays tax (whether you earn income or not) and every one pays an equal share.

Logistically the calculation is made following a fiscal year (so you know what the spending shortfall was).  Population wise the census numbers are used so they won’t be exact but close enough.  Collection wise, the government just grabs it from your accounts or wages if you don’t pay and there are penalties for not paying of course.

On Oct 25th I started a post series that would be about the 37 live rock concerts I have attended in my life so far.

Over time, I am listing the next three best.  Four posts so far covered the top twelve (listed below), today’s covers thirteen to fifteen.

Just a reminder; 1) Paul McCartney, 2) Led Zeppelin, 3) Elton John 4)Alice Cooper 5) Al Stewart 6) Queen 7) Bee Gees 8) Deep Purple 9) James Taylor 10)Blue Oyster Cult, 11)Johnny Winter, 12) Uriah Heep

And today’s list

13) The Monkees – this was the first concert I ever saw. It was 1968 and their TV show was just ending it’s original run.  I was a young teenager as was most of the rest of the audience.  The music is timeless and was fabulous then just as it is today.

11) 1910 Fruitgum Company – Bubblegum rock at its best, hey I was really young for this concert too.  What I loved about this show was how happy the band was, happy songs and happy audience. Oh to return to that level of happiness.

12) Allman Brothers Band –  A classic stoners band.  By my estimation everyone in the audience was stoned on something.  I attended with my brother (the accountant ) and I am sure those sitting around us thought we were narcs. Fortunately they offered to share a hit with us anyway.  Fabulous concert.

A common required attribute on job postings is self motivation.  Chatting with some  colleagues today it occurred to me just how key a high level of self motivation is to being happy with what you do.

Don’t tell me what to do!

If you are one of those types that doesn’t take direction well, and there are a few of us out there, being self motivated can really help.  When someone tells you what to do they often find it’s already done.

One of the key reasons self motivation is a desired skill for job applicants is because those employees typically require less direction or supervision.

More importantly though continually looking for things to do and keeping active both fosters and is a sign of happiness.

Although We don’t always consciously recognize it, numerous psychology studies have proven being active and contentedness and overall  feeling of well being are linked.

This positive effect from being active is lost to some extent if your activity is primarily directed by others rather than self directed.

Get Going

So take charge, find your own way.  Don’t let yourself be dictated to by the problems around you.  Break out, find a way, get it done.