Category Archives: Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Changing Direction

Leave a comment

Power steering makes it easier to change direction.   This catchy phrase is a little tongue in cheek, there is a point buried in here though, that is changing direction might not be a bad thing. 

As momentum builds changing course becomes more difficult, sometimes the wrong thing gets completed because it was being driven fast (I am sticking a lot of driving analogies in this post)

Canadian Gun Registry

The defunct Canadian gun registry is an example of a project that surged forward on momentum, stayed it’s course even though there were many signs a change was warranted. 

From a personal perspective gun control should be a high priority for our society, the gun registry was a poorly planned and executed idea to improve gun control and sadly rather than change direction to make it better and usable it was pushed forward in a form that ultimately imploded.  

Flexibility

The key to being able to change direction, even without the need for power steering, is the ability to adapt on the fly (in the moment as it were) but not without a conscious and clear understanding of motivation and impacts. 

Being flexible enough to recognize momentum as a powerful tool for driving activities to completion but it should not be allowed to cause a blind run for the finish line.  You could crash (auto theme again.)

Be aware of your environment, sensitive to ongoing changes and ready to adopt your approach to best fit what are often changing needs. 

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

You are not alone

Leave a comment

Leaders are most effective when they leverage others to the maximum extent possible.  As a leader, typically you take accountability for results, this is separate from taking responsibility. 

Leaders can rely on authority/granted power to get others to take on responsibility, (while they retain accountability).   However, it is important to note the use of earned power does not require the use of authority and the outcomes are often of a higher quality.  

Delegation

Delegation is the process of both motivating and empowering others to take on the responsibility to carry out specific activities.  While there is some discretion associated with the delegation the accountability remains with the delegator.

Typically delegation is based on a social or organizational hierarchy, however, skilled leaders can facilitate actions by others through the practice of influence. 

Influence

When you affect change in the actions, behaviors or options of others it is most likely through the exertion of influence.  You are able to motivate others to produce a result because they want to, not because they have to. 

Activities that arise through an act of influence will probably be of a higher quality.  This is because responsibility for the effort is not mandated but rather based on personal motivation.  

Intuitively, things other people want to do are more likely to succeed than things they have little choice about. 

Don’t Go it alone

As a leader, you are more likely to succeed both your and other expectations, that is meet your accountabilities and more, through effectively motivating and supporting those around you.  

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

The profit motive

Leave a comment

The world economy is based on the production, distribution and consumption of goods or services.  While the activity is circular, does it have a beginning?

Does demand (consumption) drive production or does production create demand?  The answer is most likely both, there is a balance where demand can influence production and production can influence demand. 

Incenting Production

While opportunity, desire and demand will influence producers the most powerful driver is the profit motive.  This is not exclusive and there is a robust non-profit sector for some products and services; however profit does underly the majority of economic activity.

This is a basic principle of capitalism.  Simplistically in a communist systems production of goods and services is for the common good, not personal enrichment.  

My own observation is self interest is a stronger driver than philanthropic interests.  Care of others is typically second to care of self (not as an absolute with exceptions but most common.)

It is this principle that makes an economy founded on profit motive stronger than one founded on altruism.  As I have noted in previous posts, it’s all about me is not an uncommon perspective.

Motivational Awareness

When engaged in economic activity, whether you are a producer or consumer of a good or service understanding the underlying drivers to your behavior can help you achieve the best results.  

A few of the questions you can consider:

  • Are you acting in your best interest, that of others or a combination?
  • Is the presence of demand (or absence) the driver of your action?
  • Is it your intent to create demand in order to satisfy your profit motive?
Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Wasted Effort

Leave a comment

Forward motion does not necessarily equate to positive results.  Humans in motion is normal and practical but taking action might have an effect and alas it might have no impact. 

The point is the importance of recognizing doing something might not be a worthwhile expenditure of energy, in and of itself.   Unfortunately acting without due care and caution could result not only in no impact but also in a negative impact causing the need for rework.

Planning, Focus, Validation

Ideally all behaviour and activity you undertake should be with a concious purpose.  Understanding the reason to put things in motion makes the effort more likely to succeed.

If you are not clear on what the purpose is the outcome may be good, bad or indifferent.  In this case luck is the predominent predictor of the outcome.

Driving Achievement

There are times when you may choose to go with the flow and let fate determine what happens.  As long as that maps to your initial expectations, you shouldn’t be disappointed.

More often you have a sense of purpose.  To help reduce the risk of wasted effort, the first step is to clarify in your mind what success will look like.

That is to be very definitive about what you intend to have occur.  This leads of course to planning how to do it and finally execution.

Mistakes

One of your top objectives should not only be to follow your plan but to check along the way things are proceeding as expected.  

This is a critical requirement to avoid wasted effort and rework.  Recently I spent days working on a task, with a great deal of forward momentum, only to find I had made a significant error early on.

Sadly, I had to start all over again.  I was busy do the work, but not productive.  I knew what and how but forgot to validate along the way to confirm I was on track.

It’s worth giving some thought before leaping ahead toward your next goal.

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Enlightenment

Leave a comment

An enlightened state is probably more a concept than a reality.  That is, to achieve freedom from all ignorance and misinformation, enabling full accurate comprehension of everything, is more something to seek than to actually find.

The search for enlightenment requires acceptance of reality.  Philosophically we can question reality as a concept, does it really exist and if so what is it?

For me, reality is neither derivative nor dependent but exists and is tangible.  True enlightenment must be based on reality, ergo, to be enlightened you must accept that reality exists.

An Alien Experiment

It has been postulated humanity is simply an experiment devised by a super intelligent alien race.  Of a pre-programmed series of events generated by a computer where the players are just computer simulations. 

The potential for alternate theories of existence is obviously broad, perhaps infinite and can be fun to contemplate and explore, however, at some point reality intrudes. 

Pragmatically, be guided by what’s real

If we focus on the tangible, what we know and can prove, the reality we construct can guide our comprehension of everything, leading us to an enlightened state.

The underlying principle is we must accept reality, that is to say, although possibilities exist beyond the tangible, it is the tangible that has the real impact on what we do, how we behave, how we feel.

We ignore reality at our peril and our chances of success in our continuing quest for enlightenment (a stretch goal probably never to be achieved) is diminished.  

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Deep Thoughts

Leave a comment

The recovery of gold usually involves digging of some sort, whether tunnels underground or open pit mining.  Gold has a perceived value high enough to make the recovery effort worth it. 

What about your deep thoughts? 

Thinking

Thoughts are defined as the action or process of thinking.  In the normal course of events we develop a thought, interpret it and act.  More profound thoughts, that is thoughts that are complex and require interpretation can be classified as deep thoughts.

Deep thoughts are, by definition, any thoughts that are complex, somewhat buried and not readily accessible.  This type of thinking is often overlooked by us and not considered worth the effort to retrieve or interpret. 

Like gold, the intrinsic value of a deep thought must be recognized and understood to motivate us to take the time and effort for search and recovery. 

Seek Them Out

Your deep thoughts might be hidden just below the surface of your conscious, (i.e., within the unconscious states of your brain) but they are almost always ever present, just easily ignored (because they are not part of your consciousness). 

Typically the results of deep thinking can be very powerful and rewarding.  Of course, the effort to extract, interpret and implement them is not trivial.  In essence, it is a balanced effort/reward equation.  

Extra effort is required.  Extra benefits are accrued. 

Acquiring your deep thoughts

Grasping onto those buried complex thoughts mainly requires concentration.  Recognizing the presence of deep thoughts within the unconscious spaces of your mind is the first step. 

After grasping onto the thoughts and pulling it into your conscious mind, the next step is taking the time to unpack them into a state you can use, that is, understand their intent/meaning and act accordingly.

Like mining for gold, it is likely you will find this a worthwhile exercise. 

 

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Focus on Mental Well Being

Leave a comment

While diet and exercise can be two key methods of maintaining good physical health, mental tranquility is the foundation of good health.  

Stress on your brain can weaken your entire body and regardless of your overall physical health, make you susceptible to disease or inexplicable aches and pains.

Managing Stress

Contrary to common belief, all stress is not harmful to your well being, in fact, a lack of good stress or eustress can be detrimental.  

The research of Hungarian/Canadian endocrinologist Hans Selye into our response to stressors showed that certain stress events led to positive biological reactions, while others, which can be labeled distress, were negative. 

(Note:  I  have simplified his concepts) 

When managing your stress it is important to classify the stressor a eustress or distress (this can vary by individual) and calculate your response accordingly.  

Eustress or Distress

Consider the retiree.  Eustress studies revealed those who retired and did not replace their daily purpose (work) with other activities (hobbies, travel, etc), were likely to die within 9 to 12 months of retirement.  

While some talk about the stress of work, worries about events, schedules, finances, in fact, these provide a biological incentive to the body and thus in a sense are life-sustaining, their lack is detrimental.

On the other hand, stresses with the negative impact that we consider out of our control (e.g. loss of a loved one, loss of employment) are the ones to both avoid if possible, or if unavoidable, (at a very minimum) accept and move on. 

Distress spirals out of control and can be very damaging to our well-being unless we can defuse it.  Basically accepts those things that just “are what they are” and move on. 

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Checking your missteps

Leave a comment

When you make an error in judgment or actual execution of an activity, this is a misstep.   In essence, you could have made a mistake due to poor reasoning, carelessness or possibly it is just the result of insufficient knowledge or perhaps just an unintentional oversight.

Whether as a result of Murphy’s law (i.e., things can and will go wrong) or due to your own actions or judgment being flawed, missteps will happen.  Avoiding the risk of a misstep is a planning exercise, and taking action when they occur is risk mitigation. 

Avoidance

Planning for the unexpected is a great way to enable potential missteps to be identified.  Checkpoint activities can be scheduled to identify actions if things are going off track.  This allows for actions to be taken to remedy mistakes before they become obvious or impactful. 

Risk Mitigation

Sometimes, regardless of how detailed the planning is misstepping will occur.  Recognizing this and being prepared, that is outlining what the action will be to correct the mistake, will enable a quick and effective response to errors. 

Ignore

A common reaction to mistakes is to ignore their occurrence and hope no one will notice. This approach is a little like gambling if your luck prevails no one will notice and there will be no negative consequences, particularly against you. 

Or even when noticed, blame and associated consequences will not be associated with you.  The downside is, like gambling, the winning result is rare and intermittent, although psychologically the intermittent reward  reinforces this behaviour it is not optimal. 

Avoiding the mistake or properly mitigating when a mistake occurs are by far the best approach.  Hiding and hoping, not so much. 

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Anticipation

Leave a comment

When you predict, foresee or just believe something will occur in the future you are anticipating.  Anticipation can be exhilarating or in some contexts worrisome.

The object of the anticipation drives the associated emotions, for example, fear, excitement or foreboding or any number of other emotions.

Disappointment

If the predicted event does not occur or the results are different from expected anticipation can lead to heightened level of saddness.

If you expected little and recieved little you might not be that upset.  However failed anticipation can magnify your level of disappointment.

Surprising Others

Anticipating the needs of someone or a group of people can raise your profile.  This can be particularly impactful in a heirachical organization.

By acting before asked on an anticipated need can impress others particularly those at a more senior level of the organization.

Assuming of course you accurately predicted or forecast what as needed and your resulting actions mapped to expectation.

Typically, self-motivated individuals with a high level of initiative are highly regarded and anticipating, acting on your predication and achieving a desired outcome puts in that category.

Anticipating things that relate to you can result in postive or negative outcomes.  Anticipating correctly the needs of others is mostly likely to have positive results.

 

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

What’s Holding you Back?

Leave a comment

Your power to achieve is only limited by your fear of success.  Often this phrase is stated “…..as fear of failure” but surprisingly unconciously we are often cautious about achievement.

The thought process includes things like:
– Do I really want this change, it seems better, but?
– What will others think of me if I am successful?
– What happens next after this accomplishment?
– If I succeed, things will be different, do I really want that?

Change is Constant

A lot of the reticence to moving forward is related to change itself.  Change represents the unknown and although your objectives are things you desire (by definition) there is always the ever-present anxiety around making a change.  

As I have noted before, in numerous posts, change is inevitable.  Controlling the changes and managing your destiny might be a better approach but often the default to accept and move on is easier. 

Change is going to occur with or without you, would you not rather it be with you?  

Unconcious Anxiety

If your goal is to have a better entertainment experience you may consider replacing your current home entertainment centre.  Success will mean the existing electronics and technology will need to change. 

New skills will be needed to use the new equipment.  How you access and view entertainment will likely improve (that’s the goal) but the current state will be gone.

Do you really want to succeed with this goal?  Is not the current state comfortable, acceptable and easier?  Why make the effort?  There is a fear that success will tear you out of your comfort zone (in this case, relative to home entertainment).

Go For It

Ultimately, moving forward, making the effort and experiencing the results of your success might not always be as expected and could lead for some nostalgia for the pre-success state of things.  However, in the long run  do you really want to stagnate in the past?