In a meeting this past week, one of my wise friends referenced the term “AFGO” offering a wonderful opportunity to laugh amidst the challenges of the week. AFGO, if you’re unfamiliar is an acronym for the phrase “Another Fucking Growth Opportunity” which describes how many of us are working with the abundance of challenges coming our way right now. As…
Uncertainty isn’t good for human beings. Too much of it and we’re all subject to a range of emotions we didn’t ask for. Welcome to Spring 2020! What can you do? Here’s a method to learn to catch yourself and manage your emotional health as it’s happening: If you think of time on a continuum of past, present and future,…
“Be exceedingly human.” This quote from Patrick Lencioni perfectly encapsulates how to lead during this time in history. It’s more important to be clear than certain. No one has been through this and no one has the road map. How can you narrow your focus and stay true to your core business? Why do you exist as an organization? Who are you? When you’re clear on these things,…
Patrick Lencioni held his Unconference right before the world as we knew it changed. At his company, they accelerated a digital strategy originally planned to launch by year end, making it happen within a few weeks. EOS® Worldwide did the same thing. Likely, you and your teams are doing, or have done something similar. Throughout the pandemic journey, we are riding a roller coaster of emotions, decisions and changes to our company’s culture, processes and systems. There are…
How do you make things special amidst a pandemic? Our oldest turned 27 yesterday. We wanted to put a positive spin on it, so we did some baking, made one of her favorite cakes, made some large signs, packed up the gifts and arrived at her doorstep when she returned home from work. Nothing we did was out of the ordinary,…
Thinking about the future. Are you doing so? If not, it might be a good time to begin. I’ve completed scenario planning with most of my clients, it’s been empowering and uplifting to have a solid foundation to work from as we return to work and redesign how we work into the future. It’s always easier to plan when you’re logical and the…
This week, it seems reality and fatigue are catching up. The long-term nature of this marathon caused by COVID-19 has offered opportunities and challenges for everyone. No one is participating part time. As a leader, you may be doing everything right and taking care of yourself and others; and you may still be tired. I’ve worked out every day since March…
When you don’t know what to write, and you’ve made a commitment to write, what do you do? Begin. It’s not always a perfect plan or a thoughtful idea. Many days, it’s about observing the commonplace, the nuances, the challenges or the wins. Days like today, it’s about doing it anyway. Whether I feel like it or not, it’s a commitment I’ve made and I will do it. Will…
I read a great article today by behavioral psychologist Elizabeth Weingarten about asking alternative questions to “how are you?” Several people have commented to me in the past week that they find the question “how are you” rote and that people are tuned out to it. That’s not been my experience, as I do believe people respond to the sincerity of how you ask,…
I don’t like the phrase “new normal.” As I’ve talked with people and listened to thoughts about what it means, it sounds like people are seeking some level of certainty amidst all the uncertainty of our world right now. By believing there will be some new homeostasis of “normal” (as if there was a normal prior), it gives people comfort about the future. For me, we didn’t have an…