What does Lebron teach?
But most importantly...
kindness and generosity have no boundaries…anyone can choose to be this way…even guys and gals that are supposed to be tough
Each project or job you choose stands a chance to be the most important work you’ve ever done or to lead you to it. If not, it’s a placeholder. Placeholders are sometimes important for survival. But they should be seen for what they are…placeholders, a stopping point, a distraction. They are not for fulfillment, happiness or generosity…only found in work with a cause with people aligned around the same idea.
Every time you choose, you can choose not to settle. Choose wisely.
Perfect can’t be perfect for everyone. Because everyone doesn’t have the same problem to solve. Because everyone doesn’t have the same taste, or the same world view.
But perfect can be perfect for someone. So, the challenge isn’t to make something perfect. It’s finding someone who sees and believes exactly what you do…then make something for them. It will be perfect.
determining if we should do work together…and as a result work together. It’s a time to determine if working together as a team will result in our best work.
Conversely, if the work is already determined, and we’re merely finding a person to do it, we might overlook the opportunity to create something entirely new together…more meaningful work and an experience we haven’t imagined yet. That’s a journey reserved for groups of people who come together because they are aligned in purpose and core values…and that’s when the magic happens.
We (I) want to do work with you because…
A meaningful interview occurs when both sides answer this question with something they have to offer (other than pay, skills and solving an immediate problem)…and when both sides come prepared to walk away when they can’t.
Where will we go to see the real you?
How can we engage with you?
Where will you show up?
It’s your turn...
The perfect job interview, where everyone tells the truth, is a rarity. It only happens when both sides are completely secure, neither is going to “win”, and there’s no transaction at stake. At this level it’s not about a “job”. It’s about the alignment of goals and purpose and building trust. It’s less about the work, and more about the culture. Every job interview should be this way. But it’s not.
It’s not because a job is also about solving an immediate problem. Job seekers are solving the problem of paying bills, obtaining experience (so they can earn more to pay more bills) and relieving peer pressure to be successful. Companies need someone to answer the phone, serve a customer, bake cookies and solve math problems. The work is done for now, not later.
But later matters…a lot. Without later, now is irrelevant. Other than mere survival, the present is meaningless without a thought about later. Culture is later brought forward. It’s the version of the future we are working to create today. It’s what gives us and our work purpose. It creates challenge, tension and fear. But it also leads to excitement about the prospect of meaningful change. And it’s the toughest thing to talk about.
The job at hand is important. The work needs to be done. So there needs to be a discussion about that role. More importantly though is how the work is to be done…what’s the posture of everyone in the mix. And that’s defined by culture…so best talk about that first.
I often ask people about their dream…their overarching goal, their purpose. And while the answer tells a story about what drives them, their true compass, more importantly it tells us that they are going.
Rest is important. But other than a refresh, it doesn’t lead to change. It’s less important what you are doing. It’s really important that you are doing it.
Go be seen.
What would change about your offering if you could only make one?
What would change if your legacy was based on one performance? One interview, one record, one customer transaction, one sales pitch?
What would change about the packaging? The marketing, the advertising?
Would the cereal box look the same if it was meant for a specific child? How about a magazine? Or an airline flight?
Most marketers don’t have trouble making one. You can pour yourself into it...your purpose, your best focus and energy. You can spend more on making one thing work. The obvious problem is making it scale. The inherent problem with remarkably interesting stuff, stuff worth doing and talking about is that it isn’t easy to sustain. It’s far more manageable to do one of almost anything than multiples. So In order to scale we make sacrifices...and down the line the thing feels different than the first one.
The more your 5,000th one is like your only one, the better chance of making something personal that leads to meaningful change.
Now what will you change?
As long as you’re bright.
It’s sad that most of our education system is still framed this way. Meet spec, and you’re celebrated. Otherwise, keep learning how to march until you’re in lock step. Fall too far behind and you’re left out altogether. In the USA you don’t have much choice for twelve or so years. But after that the rules are changing…thankfully.
I shuttered when this hit my inbox today. It should have made me feel accomplished. It should have reaffirmed my decision to choose the really famous school...the outcome my friends, family and future colleagues would find most comfortable. But it didn’t. It didn’t because I’m smarter now. And I now know what I couldn’t have known then. I know lists like these were created by marketers to grab the attention of would be buyers so they could turn that attention into ad sales. The by product is the benefit of a select few on the list to sell more stuff. And it’s the dream of being on the list that we chase thinking this is how you “make it”. And worse, not being on the list is what we fear the most...a badge of failure and not being good enough.
But the caveat is now very obvious to me. 1. These lists aren’t created for individuals. And in a world of increasing value placed on bespoke, custom and “Wow, you did that just for me”, the aggregator of the top ten list is quickly losing its effectiveness. More and more people are now looking for the things not on the list…because often those things are the most satisfying to them (the Long Tail). 2. Being on lists like best seller, highest rated, five star and others doesn’t guarantee that you will actually create the change you are seeking to make. Rather it just ensures you are always chasing the artificial goal of being on a list. Sadly, this is almost a sure fire way to reach sameness…a race to the bottom.
As data becomes more and more plentiful, lists will change. Niches are being developed, on top of other niches. These new lists won’t be controlled by media in the same way as the old lists (until they can monetize the splinter lists). So for a short while perhaps, they will become more useful…to individuals with individual tastes, beliefs and values. But not until you stop clicking on the most famous and popular…works just like high school.
The interesting thing about show and tell is that almost always it’s the show that’s the most interesting part of the act. A compelling visual subject can virtually stand alone...without any supportive words at all. Talking about slimy worms isn’t nearly as effective as letting people see and feel them. The same applies to presentations, art and science projects. And even more so to illustrating your work. Now it’s easier than ever to create a digital trail...a place for people to see you as an individual. Facebook and Instagram aren’t good places for this though...because they aren’t yours. You don’t control the canvas or how people will see it. Alternatively a website is still in your hands, at least for now.
Anyone interested in showing their work can do this...
Realizing the website is a blank canvas at the beginning, your job is to fill it up...with your interests, projects, hobbies, writings, videos of your dancing, how dogs make you smile and the toughest problem you’ve ever solved. The goal here is twofold...1. To create a place where people gain insight into your core values and your remarkable work; and 2. To practice putting yourself out there. Over time, the presentation will improve and you’ll become more comfortable handing that business card to more people.
Go show more. Perhaps you’ll need to tell less.
The modern resume isn’t very modern. It looks much like the ones first used in the late 1400’s. Back then it was quite useful as a medium to share your achievements, education and experience for the purposes of being hired or gaining support. Apart from personal contact, it was virtually the only way to make your point. Of course then much more than now a person’s vocational skills were the focus. We need you to write, so list your education and your writings. We need you for carpentry, so list the places where you’ve done this sort of work and for how long. Fast forward to the present and regretfully the similarly styled resume proudly lives on.
The standard resume should be abandoned…because now culture trumps hard skills. And it’s nearly impossible to illustrate these essential skills in a one or two page written document. The resume as we have come to know it isn’t very effective at all in illustrating someone’s uniqueness, their story and how they lead and solve problems. Even the resumes themselves all look the same. Fortunately, technology has solved this problem for us. Now through the internet, and some inexpensive media creation everyone can share…
And…
Technology gives us a chance to unhide…resumes keep the real us hidden.
Famously and often said…it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. Well, not really. The real leverage isn’t in the casual acquaintance. It’s through the trusted connection…the I’ll vouch for her…because I trust her. Trust is earned through shared work, failure and success and being there in the moment when others aren’t watching. These experiences then lead to genuine stories...an inside look into the character and core values of a person. And it’s this insight that is so valuable in sharing confidence for someone.
If receiving a reference first determine how the person giving the referral is related to that individual. If they haven’t had direct, shared experience, please find someone that does.
And if giving a reference, only do so when you throughly understand the context of the next project and the details of the work to be performed. Otherwise it’s virtually worthless information for everyone involved. A reference discussion should benefit the person vouched for as much as the receiving party. The insight gained during that conversation might be more valuable to your co-worker or friend than the interview itself.
And finally, reference letters are shortcuts, an easy method of conveying mostly surface information to a broad audience. They’re kind of like most brand advertising…largely ineffective with no way to measure results.
Simple test to see if you are en effective teacher…do people listen to you because they have to, or because they want to? Do they trust you? How do you know? Are their eyes shining (hat tip to Ben Zander)? Do they lean in, or out…are they engaged?
Teaching isn’t a gift…it’s a choice. It’s a choice to put people first and to see them each individually. It’s a choice to understand them and to build trust and connection first…then to lead them to a future they can’t see for themselves. And it’s almost certain this isn’t wrapped up in a text book.
Books, smart boards, libraries, ACT's and Chromebooks don’t teach…people do.
An often misused phrase attempting to describe the intent or lack thereof of an action, where it’s more likely the outcome was the part not intended. I didn’t mean for that to happen vs. I didn’t mean to act that way.
Almost all actions are done on purpose. Otherwise, they’re accidents…where both the action and the outcome were unplanned and therefore unexpected by everyone involved.
It’s virtually impossible to act without intent. But it is quite possible to act without a purpose. Going to work, showing up, even just to go through the motions is intentional…on purpose. Most work is done on purpose. All of the mediocre products and services are done on purpose. All average books, bad movies and boring lectures are on purpose. Not one is an accident. The problem is that they aren't done With purpose. With purpose requires something more than start-up funding, efficiency and hanging on. Doing work with a purpose means a legacy and a promise are at stake. Purposeful work requires an investment of hubris, curiosity and emotion. Of course it might not work. But it might…and it’s this kind of work that leads to meaningful change. Without it we’d still be in the stone age.
Every time you act you don’t get to choose if it’s on purpose. But you do get to choose if your performance, has a purpose…or not. Do purposeful work. We deserve it…and so do you.
to lead change
to be generous
to see individuals
to enroll people to see things differently and seek change
to create enthusiasm for subject matter
Ultimately...to create teachers
And the beat goes on...
Every interaction is a performance. People watch, listen, anticipate, expect, and respond to how you act. If you’re in the business of leading change, making a difference and creating a remarkable legacy, every performance might be the most important one you ever give. Choosing to act this way takes tremendous dedication, courage and effort. It’s both physically and mentally exhausting. And it requires lot’s of learning and practice. Of course, the audience doesn’t always respond the way you’d like them to. But sometimes they’re in synch and actually become part of the show. The energy of their engagement helps move the performance to an even higher level. And that’s when the magic happens…the unexpected delight of the show of a lifetime.
Every audience deserves the best you. Otherwise, what’s the point of showing up on stage.
Warning…video contains explicit material
Have someone ask some of your customers if they would gladly pay a little more for your offering. If they would, you're probably charging the right price.
Price should not be based on cost because your customers don’t care about your cost. They only care about how their purchase made them feel. So the goal is to make someone feel happy about the value they received…so happy in fact that they might feel like they’ve stolen something. Otherwise, it’s surely not worth talking about.
Most don’t ring at all. But ours does. Tom takes the time to notice if something looks too important to leave in the box and rings the doorbell to get it safely into our hands. He takes the time to notice when a piece of mail is mixed in with another address and makes a special trip back to our house to be sure it arrives at its intended destination. And Tom always does it with a smile, please and thank you.
Postmen don’t need to go out of their way, do the unexpected or cause delight because it’s not expected. It’s not part of make-up of what the postal service is for. The postal service isn’t designed to lead change or make people happy. Its designed to deliver paper as efficiently and cost effectively as possible. This applies to most monopolistic business like utilities, waste removal, coal mines and the like. The people in those organizations are protected by the customers' lack of choice. Consequently, virtually no care is taken to make hospitality, quality or improvement (for the benefit of the customer) any sort of priority. And the real shame is this sort of transaction centric mentality creeps into non-monopolistic organizations as well…cable TV, telephone, grocers, hotels, theaters, etc. It’s particularly well engrained into publicly owned companies where quarterly earnings reports dominate the culture.
Fortunately, there are the crazy ones, the outliers, the ones that understand that happiness and change are important, that leaving a legacy is what work is for. Thankfully there are people like Tom.
Work is for two things…leading change and causing delight. It’s this adventure and pioneering spirit to make the world a better place that makes life worthwhile. Otherwise, what’s the point.
A classic Mini Cooper once owned by Madonna is selling for $75K. But it doesn’t drive any differently than one for $15K. A modern Fender Stratocaster guitar made to look like a 1960’s model (they call it a relic) sells for three times more than a standard one. However it isn’t likely to make you a better musician. A hotel with “real” ghosts can charge 20% more. But the beds would feel the same if there weren’t any (ghosts). A welcome sign outside Hot Springs, Arkansas boasts “The Boyhood Home of Bill Clinton”. But there are a lot of other things to do.
Stories are important to us. They shape our worldview and determine how we feel. Look around you right now. Every physical element of the space has a story...some resonate with you more than others. Some remind you of another story, some create a story of the type of person who might have have made it, or the one that put it there. Some tell you a story of cheap, unimaginative or lack of enthusiasm...and make you feel uninterested, or even angry. Some tell you a story of craftsmanship, laborious design and attention to detail...and makes you curious and glad to be there. Of course, another person doesn’t see it that way. They find the vanilla one, the one you didn’t care for, much more interesting. The story was different for them. But there was a story. And it connected with them.
You have a story. Does it resonate with the people you seek to change? If not, can you change the story? Can you get Madonna to borrow it for a minute it? Or, perhaps you need to find new people? Or both.