All posts by steve@kerrzone.com

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Understanding

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Don’t just wonder about the things around you, figure it out.  If knowledge is lacking, create personal understanding proactively.

In the words of Lennon/McCartney (Beatles songwriters) “There’s nothing you can know that isn’t known, Nothing you can see that isn’t shown” 

Take Charge

If you are puzzled, wondering why something works the the way it does (or doesn’t work, but should) don’t passively accept it. 

Take charge of your life, seek knowledge and understanding of everything.   Others can help with this but you need to ask.  

Motivation

There is a strong rationale for building your personal knowledge base.  Understanding the underlying explanations for all things can enable proactive response.

This really falls into the root cause discussion.  To act appropriately, reacting to the symptoms can provide positive results) or it may not but typically they would not be sustainable. 

Understanding the real nature of things provide a framework for action.  Just wondering and accepting things as the way they are will not provide the benefits of exploration, that is research. 

Integrating with Others

Spending the time to understand why things work or behave the way they do allows us to plan the best and most beneficial response. 

Seeking a broad understanding is not a one time exercise but rather a constant quest. 

Knowledge can make your interactions with others become both more rewarding for everyone as well as raising your own profile.

So, don’t be passive, embrace the opportunity to expand your understanding of the world.  Seek answers, figure it all out. 

 

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

HelpIng Others

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When you are accountable  (others may be executing the tasks required to meet the objective) the consequences associated with the outcomes fall to you. 

There is a delicate balance between directly assisting (hands-on), providing explicit instructions (micro-managing), gentle guidance (mentoring) and full empowerment (hands-off).

Choosing Wisely

Accountability often entails getting things done through others.  How you assist them is a choice and is very dependent on the situtation.  

The option you choose (from hands-on to hands-off and everything in between) will be a significant contributing factor toward success or failure of the activity. 

The key is not to let anxiety about your accountability override the focus on enabling others to excel.  That is, getting things done through others is not about you, it is about them. 

Helping Unostentatiously

Providing help to others achieve the defined objective (your accountability), regardless of which approach you select (hands-on/hands-off), should be characterized by a lack of vulgar or pretentious behaviour which is designed to impress or attract notice.

The most effective assistance, (that is the actions and results are improved), is seamless, not even noticeable.   Helping others without them knowing is always the best approach.  

Everyone is Important

Sometimes the top level accountability is translated into importance.  Importance is associated with the role and location in an organizational or social heirarchy. 

Others performance,  that is the action of carrying out or accomplishing an action, task, or function, is dependent on the importance you place on it.  

Helping someone accomplish their task should not displace the importance they should feel with your own importance (organizational, structural or otherwise) 

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Leadership Pyramid

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Human organizations typically have a single accountable role that leads them.  This applies whether the group focus is political, corporate, social, charitable and so on. 

The concept of having one leader accountable, that is the place where the buck stops, is an endemic design that repeats itself through the ages. 

Co-Leaders

A simple definition of leader is the person who leads or commands a group, organization, or country.  Significantly by definition we consider the term leader to be singular.  

This is a simple way of defining accountability and limiting our own responsibility.  When something bad happens we can point to the leader saying “They are in charge, they are responsible for the consequences.”

The use of a single leader gives us the ability to defer accountability with clarity and having multiple leaders would make this confusing and potentially obfusticate the issue.

This likely is a key contributing factor as to why we have not seen many instances of co-leadership (there are some) or even multiple leaders. 

Efficiency and Effectiveness

Surprisingly, although teamwork is often recognized as more efficient than individual effort and ultimately producing higher quality results, we stick to our old standard of a single leader at the top. 

For many of us, it is easier to follow than to lead, taking direction requires less effort than participating in developing of the strategy and than supporting the execution (i.e., leading).

And so, albeit a model that logically is not optimal – that of a single leader overall – is the model we stick with.  Interesting, a simple and obvious innovation yet few organizations can make it happen.  

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Objectivism

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Novelist Ayn Rand founded the philosophy of objectivism.  The philosophy promotes the belief that certain things, especially moral truths, exist independently of human knowledge or our perception of them.

In essence, this is an argument that existence exists.    Contrary to the implication of the question, “Does a sound exist ,if we do not hear it?” objectivism answers clearly, yes.  Sound exists because of its very existence. (i.e., if a tree falls in a forest and no one is around, does it make a sound?  Yes it does.)

Accessibility

Rand’s novels incorporate the philosophy of objectivism within the story and so make it accessible to all.  Rather than just being a intellectual concept which is hard to translate to reality, Rand creates a picture we can identify with. 

My own personal justification for life and my associated behaviour, which I have noted in these blogs from time to time, fully integrates with objectivism. 

Basically considering my life as a search for maximum pleasure (happiness) as long as it is not at the expense of others, maps to the belief there is no greater moral goal than achieving happiness. 

Objectivist and Proud of it

This is a simple philosophy easy to understand and link to our behaviour.   Our society benefits from achievers who build businesses, invent technologies, and create art and ideas. 

While achievement depends on our innate talents and on trade with other independent people,  the ability to succeed is real, anyone can work to reach their goals.

Other people has said I am an objectivist, in a derisive way.  I am and proud of it and ignore the derision.

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Reality, Who cares

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I have noticed that leaders often say what they believe their folloers or constituents want to hear.  This is not just politicians but successful Corporate and other group leaders (e.g. religous, charitable, etc.)

Human nature, the basic framework for average thinking processes is architected to allow for us to pull the wool over our eyes and believe it.

Desirable or Possible

My own believe is we should set our objectives based on the possible.  That is the high level goal should be analyzed for feasibility together with how long and how much effort is needed. (part of the feasibility).

Most often the accountable leader constructs the doability of an objective around the perception it creates.  That is, they say they will do something not because they know it can be done but rather because they beleve it makes them look good.

Conflict of Interest

The people responsible to execute the leaders vision and objectives are often frustrated because of the lack of buy-in.  Both theirs and the leaders, one thinks it can be done and the other not.

This dichotomy can lead to confusion and is a underlying cause of why goals often take longer to achieve than original publicized.  Both because of lack of buy in/support and because the leaders pronouncement have no foot in reality.

Instant Gratification

Our culture, particularly corporte and political environments, are founded on the concept of immediacy.  For many, long term strategies have no merit.  

I want it now is the primary thoughtprocess and therein lies the problem.  Changing cultural beliefs, so all understand the value of being real even if it sounds like it is going to take longer.

We can try to change the thinking but most often we just struggle with the unrealistic.

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Feel It

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Feelings are a key influencer of your behaviour, sometimes your resulting actions could be questionable as emotional responses are not always well thought out. 

Taking control of responses motivated by emotions can be very difficult.  Immediate response must be checked before a thorough analysis is completed. 

Conscious Response

Often we will react based on an emotion (e.g., anger, frustration, affection, etc) without conscious thought.  The action is not based on a reasoned analysis.  

Sometimes, in the interest of expediency, for example in the case of fear, responding quickly is very appropriate and could be the best way to avoid disastrous, even deadly outcomes.

Why Difficult

In the case of emotions the bodies reactions, both physical and mental are pre-programmed to a large extent.  Conscious control of the brain is not a natural practice in these cases.  

Instinctual behaviour is a key part of our lives and strong emotional responses largely fall into that category. 

Anger takes over the analytic and rational functions of the brain, fear can be associated with hormonal releases geared at making you more physically able to respond, and so on. 

 Taking control of the brain in this cases requires strong awareness and motivation.   In essence you need to override your genetic programming. 

Take the Time

Emotions are often associated with behaviours that are time sensitive.  We often don’t take conscious control as that does involve time (and effort) sometimes the best approach analysis can take a long time.

We do have a natural instinct to act quickly, hence, pausing to reflect, analyze, think about it, is often not even a consideration.  This can be to our detriment.   Taking the pause that refreshes is always the best approach, even when danger is imminent. 

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Down the Funnel

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Groups of people gathered together with a common purpose constitute a team.  Intuitively team work can be both more efficient and higher quality than that of an individual or a group of individuals working together not necessarily with the same goal. 

Teams typically begin with a bunch of disparate views and ideas.  Think of these as filling the top of a funnel.  To gain the maximum efficiencies and quality the ideas need to be filtered, sharpened and moved down the funnel

Each move down the funnel focuses the work and thus fine tunes the objective so by the time it pops out the end of the funnel is is clean, clear and complete. 

Facilitation

Progressing down the funnel typically does not occur naturally.  Some finesse is required.  Having one member of the group accountable for facilitation (that is making the finesse happen) is a really good idea. 

Very simply stated, facilitation is behaviours focused on making an activity or process easier.  Taking a wealth of valuable input from the team and enabling them to uncover the  gold, that is the powerful product that comes out of the small end of the funnel, is a critical and invaluable skill.

Facilitation is a delicate path as true facilitators are like a catalyst,  helping the reaction procced but not actively part of it.

The first step is recognizing the team needs a facilitator, the second is appointing one and finally supporting them as they help the team achieve it’s goal.

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

ResiliencE

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Some times life is tough, things can be difficult.  We each have an enate capacity to overcome, that is take the hard stuff in stride and deal with it.

Resilience is about resolving your problems without them actually becoming a significant problem, that is follow these simple steps, accept, plan action, take action, no problem.  Perhaps slightly easier to write than execute.

The key concept is a belief that no problem, no obstacle is insurmountable.   This does begin with understanding and acceptance.

Identification

The first step to acknowledging a problem or obstacle exists goes beyond, well beyond, the initial discovery or realization something is up.

For ease I will outline this identification process with a relatively simple example, the process can apply to all problems but admittedly some cases are much more difficult.

Driving to work, your car suddenly becomes hard to steer and the ride is bumpy.  Your intial reaction is “flat tire” coupled with I will be late for work.  I am not dressed to change a tire. 

Other cars are getting impatient because I have stopped in the road way.  Emotions flood in, anger, fear, frustration.  Stop, think.  First what is the problem, cast aside the other thoughts for a moment.  Focus on the fact it is simply a flat tire.

Consider Options

What should I do with the car, leave in the road or pull over.  What are the consequences of each action and what makes most sense?

How do I deal with the flat, fix it myself, hire someone and if so what are the logistics.

These are just some of the rational ideas you can come up with to develop a resolution plan.  The key here is don’t let the obstacle or problem own you, you can own it.

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Fair Treatment

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Do other people treat you the way you expect to be treated?  Believe it or not, you are the largest influencer of how others behave toward you. 

Studies show other people judge our behaviour in just seven seconds.  Your attitude, how you ask for something, respond to a request or your body language are all key tells as to how you will be recieved, percieved and ultimately reacted to.

Think it Through

The you want people to react can be influenced.  Both your body language and verbal communications are key contriutors to this.  In fact though everything from appearance to demeaner are factors.

There are times when how you approach a topic is well worth planning in advance, mainly that is when you are seeking to get something. 

Increasing your chances of success can be as simple as  juding the other persons bias and catering to it.  Juding others in seven seconds is a two way street, how you use this judgement is a choice.

Plan yourApproach

If you can plan the best way to achieve your goals, getting treatment that meets your expectations, before engaging someone, it is helpful.

 This is not always possible and  even if advance preparation is not possible  careful crafting your approach in context of what the other person seeks in the moment will increase you chance of being treated as desired.

Basically, give the people what they want.

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Change and Communication

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Most if not all people enjoy and embrace routine, that is the familiar.  That is not to say many do not derive pleasure from the unknown or unique activities but on the whole constancy is appreciated. 

If everything was well understood and constant it would be a bit of a boring life.  That being said, most of us do enjoy consistency of simple routine tasks.

For example, your daily travel routine, where you park your car, the time you eat breakfast. This need for routine does not detract from the excitement of say taking a trip to an unknown location, we like that too.  

Supporting Change

With a basic understanding of resistance to change it is possible to plan ways to help both yourself and others to embrace the unknown.  That is to recognize the value and so have fun changing it up. 

The key to making change work, probably 90% of the approach, is communication.  Two-way communication by those promoting the change (could be you) and those on the receiving end (also could be you) is critical.

Being a Part of the Change

hange includes unknown factors, things we have not experienced or practiced regularly or at all.

Understanding the reasons to alter our behaviour and believing we are at least able to voice an opinion, can make the change very palitable. 

Change is exciting.  It is invigorating and constant.  Believing in the power of change, accepting and embracing it, can be a powerful and pleasurable experience.