work

Portfolios

Our work is a series of projects. Some examples...

  • projects within one company

  • work done for a variety of companies

  • work done for individuals

  • a business we started

  • a group we led

  • a presentation we made

  • a workshop or training program we led

Now, if we were going to tell people about our projects, describe them in such a way they might become interested in having us do similar work for them, how would we go about it? Would we merely write some copy, black letters on a page? How could we show our work, talk about it, create some theatre which was more compelling, more interesting and more revealing about how and why we do our work, not just that we did it? What tools are available today which tells a better story than a resume or cover letter?

We need to think of our work like artists do. We need to show our best work (and maybe some failures) in the best light, like a portfolio or in a gallery. In the end, we're all artists if our work is unique to us, which is a story worth telling. And, how we tell it becomes part of the story. Choose wisely.

Extra Time

This is what we define as our time, something we control, something we get to have once the work is complete. How much of it we get is often out of our control, subject to the demands of others. One more email, phone call or pop-up meeting. But, it's also in our control. We can be better organized, better planned and better at saying "no". We can limit distraction, work on only what's most important and move the rest to the shelf.

Extra time isn't something we receive, it's something we make. The real question is what do we do with it once we make it. What's the extra time for? If we decided this in advance, it's possible, maybe even likely, we wouldn't save it for extra time. We would merely do it anyway.

There is no extra time for any of us. Our timelines are all limited. Extra is a trap we use to keep us from doing things, sometimes really important things. We just need to decide whether to fall for it, or not. Choose wisely.

HT to Haley for the nudge

Habits and Work

Habits are involuntary acts done primarily to serve ourselves for immediate gratification. It's all the things we do without thought, both good and bad, which make us feel good, safe and secure. And, we would miss them if they were gone. It's why breaking them is so hard to do.

Habits also create an image, how we're seen by the outside world. Our cleanliness, sloppiness, reading and eating habits, all define who we are to the people around us. They make up our posture, approach and attitude towards things. So, they count.

Habits aren't work. Work is what we do with intention for someone else whether we feel like it or not. It's our regimen, process and systematic effort to produce a specific change in the world. There's an outcome in mind when we do our work. Our work might become routine, and probably is, but it's not a habit because we need to choose to do it.

The key then is to develop habits which better serve our work. And to break the ones which don't. We can also change some things we consider work into habits. The goal is to work to create unintentional acts for the benefit of those around us. Eventually, how we're seen improves, our work improves, results improve and we feel better.

Some habits to consider forming...

  • smiling

  • neatness

  • punctuality

  • listening

  • cleanliness

  • personal hygiene

  • attentiveness

  • cheerfulness

  • eye contact

Worth a shot.

Alignment

The key to making progress is to connect and align the flow of time, where we've been, what we've learned, and how it serves what's important now and where we hope to go...who we hope to become. How does being here, working on this project, doing this job, practicing this craft, being with this group fit in? Does the work support our why, and our purpose? Does it help us achieve our dreams? How does our point of view, our expertise and our work benefit those around us? Who does it serve? Will it make things better? Or, is it a placeholder, a myth or facade of some sort. Perhaps it's what we're supposed to do according to someone else's plan, and their why.

Why are we here, now? Where are we going? These might be be the two most important questions we can ask, both ourselves and anyone joining our team.

What Does Busy Look Like?

Everyone is busy. Our brains have a hard time doing nothing. So, there's a tendency to fill the ebbs of time with something. When we're at work, being busy is tied to being productive in the service to someone else. The rest of the time, busy takes on a different persona. There's the business of doing chores, taking care of personal business and generally getting things done. This is the stuff we've told ourselves is more important than something else. So, we make ourselves feel productive by doing it. And on the measurement of pure activity, we've accomplished something. But, at what expense? What's the cost of doing one thing over another?

It's easy to fall into the trap of merely doing something to feel productive...because it's safe. It's safe because it's predictable. But the truly important work, the work which can change our lives and those around us, is hard. It's hard because it might not work. It's hard because we might fail. But, the hard work really matters.

Too often we put the hard things off. We rationalize doing them later when conditions are more suitable or we have more time...perhaps tomorrow. Of course, we might be busy tomorrow. Or perhaps, tomorrow doesn't come?

Most of what we call busy work is easy. But, we need more of the hard. Maybe we should get busy doing the hard work instead. Spend five minutes doing the hard thing each day, before doing anything else. At least it's a start.

Do Something

When we're stagnant, uninspired or bored, we have three choices...

  • Do nothing

  • Do anything

  • Do something

Doing nothing merely perpetuates the current condition. Most people don't stay there long.

Doing anything is a filler. It's random and done without intention...of going anywhere or changing anything. It's not particularly challenging. But, it might make us feel like we're busy and relatively productive to doing nothing.

Doing something is a choice to engage in a specific thing. It requires skill and is more challenging than just filling time with activity. Doing something with purpose fuels our creativity and ability to level up. It requires learning and improving skills, curiosity to find a better way and persistence to overcome unexpected challenges.

All three come with consequences. But, only one leads to better. Choose wisely.

Isolation

There's nothing which stands in between us and our work when we're completely alone. Mute the inbound fire hose of messaging, people, phones and noise to leave room for focus. The only thing left is the tension we create by not doing it...because we could be doing something else. Ignore it.

Create regular isolation, then be sure not to waste the opportunity. Might as well get to work.

Scheduling Our Best Work

Most of us use calendars as a reminder of deadlines, appointments and special commitments. In this way, they're quite useful. They help us serve others. They remind us what should be done when. But, they fall short in helping us do our best work. We can schedule time at the gym...but come up with reasons not to go. We can establish a schedule to learn...and not show up.

A calendar brings the urgency of something we owe someone to the forefront. It creates enough tension to force action, albeit often at the last minute. But, the hard work we need to do for ourselves, the regimen necessary to get ourselves to the gym, to the computer or to the classroom comes from a different place. It comes from initiative and caring enough about the thing to be persistent and resilient in the face of hardship. Doing the work despite the roadblocks, despite not having enough time is done in the present. Practicing generosity, gratitude, better public speaking, math, writing is something we can do anytime if we choose to. But alas, some of us need a crutch, an organized place to put the practice time. So, perhaps a better calendar would include time for regimens, habits and persistence, and not just the outcomes. Of course, once we've committed to the work and made it a habit, we don't need a schedule anymore. We merely do it because it's what we decided to do.

We don't need a New Year's resolution or any other artificial reminder to set new expectations and try harder. We don't need a calendar. Our best work is done when we decide to do it. And, it's always time to do it.

Who Will We Become?

Goal achievement for the most part is the result of work. And, our work is what defines us. It's how we're seen by the world. A title doesn't describe who we are, it's a symbol of what we've achieved and where someone might find us doing our work. It's the work, the regimen, the habit of showing up with a certain posture, attitude and skill, the digging in and enduring the slog which is who we have become. Our approach to, prejudice for and persistence to make our work better is evidenced in the habits we've developed. Some of this is wrapped up in the positions and results we've achieved. But mostly, it's underneath, in the weeds, where no one is looking.

If we want to achieve more and better results, we should start with deciding who we need to become to give us the best chance to achieve them. And then, develop the work habits to become this person.

  • A writer who doesn't write on schedule, with intent, even when she doesn't feel like it...isn't a writer.

  • A teacher who doesn't seek to better understand students...isn't teaching.

  • A speaker who doesn't doesn't practice and perfect presenting...isn't a speaker.

  • A researcher who isn't obsessed with finding new ways of turning data into information...isn't a researcher.

What habits do we need to develop to do better work? Who do we need to become to make the difference we seek to make?

Don't show us the resume. Show us the approach to the work instead.

Despite and Because

Despite...

  • the odds

  • the failures

  • the weather

  • the bank balance

  • the mood

  • the misunderstanding

  • the lack of knowledge

  • the fear

  • the outcome

Or, because of them. Either way, the work matters.

Creativity doesn't just happen. It's a process of persistent action both despite and because of constraints. And it's a good thing, otherwise both the work and the outcome would be pretty boring.

Dance with constraint...despite and because. Please dance.

Taking Turns

Geese know they need to leave, to head South. And, they know they can't achieve the journey alone (they're too large and would exhaust themselves on the long trip). So, groups form. But, one goose needs to decide. One chooses specifically when to go...one bird leads. Once they set-off though, teamwork and instinct take over. The group's culture has formed through evolution. They've learned flying in formation significantly reduces effort (up to 30% less for each member) and increases the likelihood of the group’s survival and reaching the destination. The lead doesn't benefit from the physics of formation flight and tires before the others. But, the lead knows her turn will end and relief will take over. This method of rotation and spreading out the effort among the adult birds is understood. The culture isn't questionable. Everyone takes a turn and does some heavy lifting.

Leaders choose where and when to go. The team makes it actually happen. The key is to build a culture worth working for where it's understood eventually, everyone takes a turn up front.

It's Already Been Done

There are roughly 8 billion people on the planet. And most have the capacity and the capability of making something for someone. So, the chance of our ideas being original at this point are virtually nil. And despite this, remarkable work is produced every day. And, while it feels fresh and new...and perhaps even original, it’s probably not. So, why bother working on something new?

It turns out that while there are very few one off’s, there are many, many variations...slightly modded instances of the last slightly modded instance. And so the ratchet of progress turns, not always because of original, groundbreaking ideas, but despite the lack of them. Morphing, modifying, developing a tangent in a unique way isn’t cheating. It’s creating. It’s bringing our unique perspective to it and making it better. And we need more of it. 

Closed Door Policy

In today’s virtual office world, it might be timely to re-establish what office presence is actually for…why does it matter if we are (or are not) at our desk? What's the value of being at a specific place at a specific time?

As a leader, our most important work is not processing the firehose of inbound interruptions. Our most important work is to identify and solve interesting problems in the company of others. The other part of our work, the email, phone calls, unscheduled drop by meetings, and idle chit chat...is important too. But, please recognize it's not the most important and hopefully not which would be most missed when we're gone.

Part of leadership, perhaps a large part, happens alone. Space and time to think, to focus, to learn new methods, to craft ideas and strategy are vital parts of the change making process. And, they require privacy.

On the other hand, accessibility is important, maybe now more than ever. An open door policy has value for people which need help, especially right away. Of course, almost every problem or idea doesn't need input right away. But, since the door is open and there's someone there, might as well go in and engage. But this sort of accessibility has a cost...the cost of time to focus which inevitably slows the rate of change.

This balancing act of being available to others and also making private time to focus on solving problems has long been the bane of the leader. Anyone with an office or workstation understands this issue. Closing the office door (or working elsewhere) and putting the phone on DND and not answering email quickly sends the signal of being closed...closed for the business of serving people.

We need to change what the signal means. We need to teach people about focus and solitude and how it's okay to be absent from the flow. We need to invite others to use private time to actually be more productive with work which matters. We need to create a culture where learning and self-improvement are not something to do in our spare time, but built-in to the system...a required part of our work. Of course, we need to be responsible also. We need people to trust we're using quiet time in a way which serves them and the organization.

Some things to try...

  1. Be Transparent- Let people know specifically what is going on behind the closed door or away from the office. Show your work. Invite people to discuss it.

  2. Walk Around- Spend more time being accessible to others by going to them...without an agenda. "What's on your mind?" is a proven way to start. Over time this creates an expectation that you'll show up. Keep showing up. It might slow traffic to the office.

  3. Attention- When the door is open and someone calls or walks in, give them our undivided attention. Stop answering email or the work at hand and give them what we promised them...service and attention.

  4. Don't answer- Unless life safety is at stake, don't answer the knock, the phone or text. This is really hard because it's our way off the hook. It's our rationalization the work at hand is not important...at least not as important as the person wanting our attention. Well, if the work isn't important, why work on it? Of course it's important. Once we stop answering the interruption, the signal will change and over time there will be fewer seemingly urgent matters and fewer interruptions.

  5. Schedule being closed- Make the focus time a habit...for everyone. If we close the door every day from 11-12( and show people how it benefits them), over time people understand what the hour is for.

An open door means a lot. But, it can also let us off the hook of doing our most important work if we choose not to close it. Please choose wisely.

Bad Photography

I enjoy photography. Mostly I enjoy the process, the science, the engineering and the mechanics of it. I also enjoy the constraints of both the camera and the subject. I often ask, what can I make with this situation? I have this lens (or my phone), this much light, am standing this far away...what can I achieve to make this worth looking at again? I enjoy this workflow. I do it with intent. And sometimes, I enjoy the results.

As an amateur photographer I take a lot of pictures. (no selfies). I've taken a lot of pictures since I was in the sixth grade. Back then, it was film only, which was a great teacher. But, with the advent of digital cameras including those in our pocket, it's even easier to add to the library. But this hasn't made me a better photographer. It's just changed the ratio. Back when I shot with film, I would take a photo worth sharing about one out of a hundred times. Now, it's about one out of a thousand. Sometimes, I get lucky and get two or three. What makes me a good photographer is the regimen of noticing and capturing, the process, the work with purpose and the continuous flow of learning and adapting. But most of all, what makes me a better than average photographer are the hundreds of thousands of bad photos I've taken...because this means I do the work despite the outcome. And, it's this experience, this body of work I point to when people ask, how do you do that?

Show us all of your bad work.

Some of my good, and perhaps bad, results can be found here.

Small Dents

We often think of achievement in terms of the big acts...making our big dent in the universe. It's sometimes lost that these big, more noticeable dents are made up of much smaller ones...the habits which turn the ratchet in the right direction. Our work is made-up of tiny dents, behaviors and practices, which define our culture and how we are seen by the world. The larger dents are determined foremost by our actions underneath, often when no one is looking....our character.

A character of persistent forward motion, learning and adapting, chiseling away to make things better, is the key to making progress.

The size of the dent isn't so important. But, making them is. Best then to focus on making small ones, which might just lead to a big one or two.

Please go make your dent!

Sum of The Unsung Parts

The guitar tech which ensures the notes ring out perfectly for every show, big or small.

The person who cleans the employee restroom like it was their own.

The dishwasher who inspects each plate as if every meal was a VIP dinner.

The Mom who puts a little surprise in the lunchbox.

The teacher who calls to check on us when we're out sick.

The convenience store clerk who greets everyone who walks in as if they were a personal friend.

The valet which cleans the bugs off the windshield.

It's often not the grand finale which makes the biggest difference. Rather, it's the small, unsung, and often tedious acts which add up to make the culture we seek.

Choosing to do the undercover, unnoticed and routine work matters. Of course, we don't have to do it. But, luckily we get to do it. Choose wisely.