It’s Easier Said Than Done? Of Course It Is. Do It Anyway

Garage decor by Casey McCorison. (Only for his own garage!) Much easier said than done, but he did it and it looks great!

Not long ago, when I suggested to a complaining supervisor that he should tell an employee to stop behaving inappropriately and start doing the work he was assigned, the supervisor said, with a sigh,”I know. I know. But, that’s easier said than done.” 

A few days later, someone wrote to me about some dietary advice her doctor gave her–advice that could potentially save her from surgery and even save her life.  She said, “I know I should follow his advice, but it would require me to change a lot of my eating habits and that’s easier said than done.”

Last week I was talking to a friend about a challenging situation and what action I knew I needed to take. I said, echoing those “other people” who avoided the tough tasks: “I’ve told myself this a dozen times, so I know what to do. Unfortunately, it’s easier said than……” I stopped myself, appalled that I would fall back on the idea that if it isn’t easy I should be excused for not doing it!

The truth is that it’s always easier to talk than to do.  That’s why someone once commented, “When all is said and done, more is said than done.”

That’s also one reason the 1988 Nike campaign, “Just do it.” was named one of the last century’s TopTenTag-lines by Advertising Age. It acknowledges our human tendency to put off doing things that are difficult, uncomfortable, challenging or not as appealing as something less worthwhile. The people at Nike headquarters say they have heard from people all over the world thanking them for that motivating line, eight letters long.

What is it that you need to stop talking about and just do it? If you’re like most of us you probably have a list of things you know you need to do, want to do or intend to do, but haven’t done. Why don’t you do one of the things on that list right now or at least start it today? Whatever it is, it will undoubtedly be easier said than done because talk doesn’t take much effort. On the other hand, talk without action doesn’t result in much accomplishment.

Do you know something you need to do about work, a relationship, a habit, a task or a challenge, but it’s easier said than done?

August 28th, 2010 Posted by TLR | Keeping On!, Life and Work, Personal and Professional Development | 3 comments

Earth and the Moon–As Described in 1771

I am always fascinated by old reference books. I have mentioned before that I have a replica edition of the first Encyclopedia Britannica, published in 1771. I often read it to add to research about something much more modern. For example, there will be a full moon on August 23rd. Which is to say, the hemisphere of the moon that faces the earth will be almost fully lighted by the sun. The Pale Golden Marble in the sky will look especially beautiful for the few nights before, during and after the Full Moon, then the lunar cycle starts again. That reminded me of one of the sections on astronomy in my 1771 Encyclopedia. 

On the surface of the moon, because it is nearer to us than any other of the celestial bodies are, we discover a nearer resemblance of our earth. For by the assistance of telescopes we observe the moon to be full of high mountains, large valleys and deep cavities. These similarities leave us no room to doubt, but that all the planets and moons in the system are designed as commodious habitations for creatures endued with capacities of knowing and adoring their beneficent Creator.

As the earth turns round its axis, the several continents, seas and islands appear to the moon’s inhabitants like so many spots of different form and brightness moving over its surface, but much fainter at some times than others, as our clouds cover them or leave them.

By these spots the Lunarians can determine the time of the earth’s diurnal (daily) motion, just as we do the motion of the sun, and perhaps they measure their time by the motion of the earth’s spots, for they cannot have a truer dial.

The writer was not correct in his assessment of habitation on the moon or other planets in our solar system. However, what interests me is that he not only believed it, he accepted it as an easy concept to believe.

We tend to think most people of that era were so earth-centric they would not have thought there could be life on other planets or that any planet would have people similar to us.  The astronomy writer for the first Encyclopedia Britannica not only thought there was life on other planets, he could picture Lunarians using Earth to track time just as we use the sun.

In a way, I’m sorry we found out the truth. I like thinking of a Lunarian couple holding all six of their hands, sweetly kissing with their antennae, gazing into each other’s eye, then looking across at the Full Blue Marble. 

August 23rd, 2010 Posted by TLR | Life and Work | 5 comments

How Long Are You Going To Feed The Baby Birds?

Baby birds have to be fed every 15 to 20 minutes from sunrise to sunset. Mother and father birds spend their time getting food, returning to the cheep-cheep-cheep of their babies, popping food in the tiny open beaks, flying out again and repeating that all day long.

This goes on for two or three weeks, at which time feeding is reduced to every one or two hours, then four hours, then after seven or eight weeks the birds are weaned and they are pushed out of the nest and taught to fly. It’s not uncommon to see a relatively large juvenile bird following its mother around hoping to be fed–but she doesn’t do it and the baby has to grow up and feed itself.

Many workplaces have one or more people who are like perpetual baby birds. They never have learned to provide for themselves and they don’t seem to care about the effect that has on everyone else. For all practical purposes they are in a nest that looks like a work space and they spend their work hours demanding to be fed.

Unfortunately, many supervisors and managers not only cater to them, they make everyone else do it too.

“Just go along with her. You know how she is.”
“Don’t let him upset you. You know how he is.”
“Do it the way she wants this time. You know how she is.”
“I’m going to stop that very soon, but for now try to deal with it. Otherwise, you know how she’ll be.”

Empowering Not Enabling

When employees are trained effectively and expected and required to be effective in their performance and behavior, they are more likely to become empowered. They can do what needs to be done and help others too. They appreciate support and encouragement but they also have the ability to draw from their own sense of worth and personal responsibility.  They self-initiate work and are self-motivated and self-disciplined. They have a strong sense of personal responsibility and are willing to be held accountable. What a pleasure! Supervisors need to be careful that they don’t take those employees for granted.

Baby bird employees are different. They are in the habit of  working with their little beaks open all the time–and whatever you give them is never enough. You can hear their cheeping in one or more of these ways–it varies according to the personality, interests and ego of the individual:

• Self-promotion at every opportunity–or creating the opportunity. 
• Unreasonable demands.
• Making everything they do a major event.
• Inappropriate actions or disruptive behavior.
• Complaining, sulking, whining or pouting about many matters, big or small.
• Taking the role of a victim–especially a saintly victim.
• Wanting to be in charge or wanting to be considered the expert.
• Angling to be thanked and thanked and thanked again.
• Being hypersensitive to their own feelings and insensitive to the feelings of others.
• Often being in the middle of a major emotional upheaval over minor issues.
• Asking for excessive help, encouragement or support, even after learning a task.
• Taking up more supervisory or managerial time than others but not getting more done.

How To Stop Enabling Baby Bird Behavior

1. Accept your responsility and the need for a change in your own behavior.  If you have allowed the inappropriate behavior even a few times, it will be difficult for you to change your responses. It may seem easier to buy a little peace and quiet by catering to the employee just one more time. Resist the urge. Talk to other supervisors or managers and report back now and then. You’ll be less likely to give-in when you have to admit it to someone you respect.

2. Support the behavior and performance you want to see continue.  Thank the employee when he or she handles something the right way. Support other employees fully and let it be seen what you value and what the rest of the organization values. This also helps the mature, self-responsible employee who has been carrying the load but not getting the praise because the squeaky beak got it.

3. Stop the behavior and performance that is creating problems or that you do not want to see continue. You don’t need to do a closed door counseling session–unless you want to and think it is needed. Just tell the employee to stop. If you’ve never done that, you’ll be amazed at how effective it is! There are many ways to say you want someone to stop doing one thing and do something else instead–you’ll figure them out. The important thing is to stick with it like a broken record. It’s your way of saying, “We’re not feeding you any more.”

4. Keep the focus on good work. If you’re not careful you’ll replace the time you spent catering to the employee with an equal amount of time noticing whether or not he or she is still being a problem. Instead, focus on what must be done or could be done or on being more efficient and effective. One really good thing about work: It fills the empty time between arriving and leaving the workplace. When everyone is appropriately busy, there is little time for personal agendas and self-centered behavior. The moment you see time being wasted by the neediness of one or more employees, stop it and get the focus back on turning out a work product, whatever that may be in your business or organization.

When someone has been accustomed to only needing to chirp a few times to get attention, it isn’t easy to change things–but it can be done. Like other professional training and development, it’s for his or her own good and for the good of the organization and everyone else–including you.

August 17th, 2010 Posted by TLR | Challenging and Problematic People, Life and Work, Supervision and Management | 9 comments

Think You’re Something Special? Prove It!

Be able to prove what you claim to be

Many of us have become accustomed to hearing or reading exaggerations, wild accusations, half-truths, all-lies and urban legends. It seems the world is made up of those who believe it all and those who believe nothing anymore.  However, when it comes to work and our efforts to develop professionally, all of us need to be able to show proof–to ourselves and others–about all the positive traits and actions we claim for ourselves.

Apply that concept when you are interviewed for a position–or when you interview someone for a job. Apply it when you are wondering why your good qualities aren’t being appreciated. Apply it when you want to have a reputation for being a strong contributor, a nice person or an expert in an area.  Be able to provide proof in the form of examples over time. If some examples don’t immediately pop into your mind, your good qualities may not be as obvious as you think.  

• Do you contribute to your work team in a way that gets good results with them and others? Prove it. What are some things you have done in the past and recently, where others in your group have thanked you, asked for your assistance, referred others to you or when your contribution was requested, needed or clearly was a help? If you really are contributing, you’ll have some examples without thinking about it for a few minutes.  

• Do you communicate effectively, even when it’s difficult? Prove it.  Give an example of a time in the last few weeks when your purposeful communication calmed a conflict, reduced contention or eased a conversation into a better path. To claim it as a full-time trait, you should have several examples.

• Do you do self-initiated work that is high in quality and high in quantity, based on the needs of your organization and your manager? Prove it. Give examples from the last week and going back for several months, of some tasks you have done that were effective, needed, and self-initiated, while you also did your regular, required work.

• Has someone implied you are problematic in an area of your work and you think they’re wrong? Prove it. Rather than asking them to give you an example of what you’ve done wrong, be prepared to give a plethora of examples of what you have done that shows you are performing and behaving correctly.

You get the idea. Anyone can say they have done good work, do good work and will do good work. The person who is actually doing it will have so many life experiences to draw from that the examples are ready to give.  On a regular basis, think about what you have accomplished and what it took to do it. If necessary, make a list to help you remember. Keep an active mental file of how you are demonstrating effectiveness every day.  

What if you don’t have proof?  If you find you have very few clear examples to provide, consider how to remedy that lack. Perhaps you need to try new methods or be willing to learn new skills. Maybe you need to stop doing some things and start doing others. Perhaps you should back off or maybe you should step forward. Talk to a professional friend who seems to be on track or talk to to your supervisor or manager. Ask their opinions about your work and ask for suggestions about how you can be what you want to be in the best way possible. Then, be willing to make changes or adjustments to do things a bit differently in the future.

That way, if you are developing a resume, being interviewed for a new job or a promotion, or being asked about your work, you can say, “Examples? Sure! How much time do you have?”

August 10th, 2010 Posted by TLR | Assessment Centers and Interviews, Life and Work, Personal and Professional Development | 5 comments

Speaking Of The Good Old Days

What year?

August, 2010, with its record high temperatures should make us appreciate air conditioning in our homes and cars. For some it might bring back memories of vacations in the good old days with all the windows rolled down. (It’s a give away about your age if you remember rolling a window up or down–although there are still a few automobiles being made with person-powered windows.)

The first concepts for automobile air conditioning were developed in the early 1930′s (The article pictured above was from a January, 1936 magazine.) Packard refined the concept and put them in luxury cars in 1939 and 1940, but they were poorly designed and couldn’t be adjusted. They cost about $4,000 in today’s money ($274 at the time.)

In 1954 Nash introduced the All Weather Eye, an efficient and effective automobile air conditioner for about $3,000 in today’s money. By 1969 over half of all cars made in the United States had air conditioning as standard equipment. Nowadays the vast majority of automobiles include an air conditioner, although some people are reducing the use of them to increase MPG in gasoline consumption.  The National Renewable Energy Laboratory released a report in 2000 that said, 

Current air-conditioning systems can reduce the fuel economy of high fuel-economy vehicles by about 50% and reduce the fuel economy of today’s mid-sized vehicles by more than 20%.

If you’re like most of us, you may try to reduce your use of air conditioning but you aren’t going to eliminate it entirely.  In areas where the temperatures are in the triple digits this week, it would seem foolish to have air conditioning but not use it–although until the 1950s most people were driving in the hottest climates without it.

As with many aspects of life and work, what was once the norm becomes intolerable and what was once a luxurious miracle becomes a commonplace necessity. Try turning off the air conditioner in your home or car. You may find you can do without it better than you think–even though at some point you will probably turn it back on. When you do, stop to feel thankful that some aspects of the good old days are new and improved.

August 5th, 2010 Posted by TLR | Life and Work | 4 comments

Some Days You Are The Bird And Some Days You Are The Moth

Never despair; but if you do, work on in despair.             

That advice may seem excessively simplistic when you find yourself under attack, trying to recover from a painful experience or trying to get your team, section, department or office back on track. However, it is the one bit of advice that will ensure you move through the situation and come out of it stronger and better.

Work on–and do your best work. Work on–and support others who are behaving and performing effectively. Work on–and reach out to those who are going through the same thing.  Acknowledge your errors and apologize if it is appropriate; commit to improving your performance or behavior if that is needed; talk positively about the future. Work on with confidence the situation will pass and the good work you are doing will help it happen sooner.       

In the world of birds and moths many things are deadly and permanent. In your world and mine, surprises, changes, jolts and shocks may happen regularly. The negative results can be lessened if you don’t despair.  However, even if you do, keep your focus on how you want to be seen, what you want to achieve and what you can contribute.                        

July 31st, 2010 Posted by TLR | Life and Work, Personal and Professional Development | 7 comments

Enjoy The Good Old Days!

1970

These aren’t the worst of times, just as they are not the best of times. Without diminishing the severity of national and international problems, perhaps we can take some comfort–and gain some hope–from the fact that we have not only endured similar crises, we have survived and eventually thrived again. It is true that every crisis has the potential for weakening individuals and governments, but there is also an opportunity to gain strength, correct mistakes and build on successes.

Apply it to your life. The same concept applies to your workplace, community, church and family. There will be problems. The big test is how you respond to the problems. You can keep doing the same things as always, without being willing to adjust to changes. You can go the same heedless way you have in the past, hoping for a magical solution from someone else. Or, you can take control of your own fate as much as possible.

Do what you can do: Build your skills, eliminate harmful habits, gain influence, increase your credibility, use your time and energy more wisely, improve your health and fitness, enjoy life more and help others find happiness and success as well.

1984

You probably have very little control over many things that have an effect on your life, but you do have control over your behavior. You may not be able to make major changes at work but you can improve your own performance. You can’t make the whole world better but you can make your part of the world better. That’s not just a saccharine thought, it’s a truth you can depend upon–and one that will accomplish more than complaining, venting, or feeling helpless or morose.

In 2040 there will be magazine covers deploring the condition of the economy, uncovering a recent scandal in the White House, and announcing the high cost of health care, the lamentable status of education and the challenges of  new technologies. (Those holographic images will be distracting at work!)

2010 will soon be the good old days. Enjoy them while you can!

1974

July 23rd, 2010 Posted by TLR | Keeping On!, Life and Work, Personal and Professional Development | 9 comments

Monitoring The Nail Supply

 For Want Of A Nail
For want of a nail, a shoe was lost,
For want of a shoe, a horse was lost,
For want of a horse, a rider was lost,
For want of a rider, a message was lost,
For want of a message, a battle was lost,
For want of a battle, a kingdom was lost,
All for the want of a horseshoe nail.

 

Advice about workplace motivation often suggests purposely assigning a challenging task as a way to  help an employee become more enthusiastic.  It will probably be more useful to the employee and the organization to help him or her see that the regular work they were hired to do is worth doing and worth doing well.

When employees only feel energized when they are engaged in new, unique or special projects, there is a tendency to feel let-down when those projects are completed. Routine tasks then seem even less significant than before. Make it as worthwhile and satisfying for employees to do routine tasks well, as it is for them to accept and fulfill a great challenge.

While you are at it, remember that observing and acknowledging dependable, daily task accomplishment is part of your routine work–and just as valuable as a project that tests your abilities in a dramatic way.

You may never be responsible for leading the battle that saves the kingdom, or riding with the message that saves the battle, or even shoeing the horse that carries the rider. Nevertheless, do not underestimate the value of being the one who monitors the supply of nails.

July 15th, 2010 Posted by TLR | Personal and Professional Development, Supervision and Management | 6 comments

Spite and Malice–Only Fun As A Card Game

Spite and malice harms everyone and should be stopped.

Whether you are a manager, supervisor, employee, parent, sibling, friend or just want to be a decent human being, be on the alert for indicators of mean-spirited, petty, maliciously vile behavior. Don’t do it yourself and don’t ignore it in others.

The card game, Spite and Malice, has been around for a long time under a variety of names. It can be fun to play when played in the spirit of fun, even though it certainly appeals to the competitive spririt as well. It’s described on one site as “a game with attitude.”  One reviewer commented on the fun of playing the “Stop anyone” card, when you see someone is on a winning streak. Another said, “This is a cutthroat game where you do what it takes to keep someone from winning, then they do it back to you.”  The Hasboro card box says, “If you can’t beat’em, annoy’em.” It sounds like some workplaces I’ve heard about!

At  work, these are often the indicators of spiteful, malicious behavior:

• Sarcastic, snide remarks to diminish someone or their work.
• Behavior or comments designed to make it difficult for someone to do their work effectively.
• Waiting until others are around to point out a mistake or problem.
• Doing something you know will result in a bad situation for someone else.
• Facial expressions, gestures, comments or actions that cause someone else to feel unwanted, disliked, or demeaned.
• Frequently ridiculing or mocking someone rather than talking to them directly about a problem or issue.
• Being an obstructionist and stubbornly resisting someone else, just to avoid complying or just to create a problem for them.  (This is also a description of passive-aggressive behavior.)
• Stabbing someone in the back and twisting the knife. (That’s a high-level psychological phrase.)

Spiteful, malicious behavior is a clear indicator of ongoing contention that harms everyone, even those who are not the direct target. It uses time ineffectively and often results in long, long meetings or frequent cross-purpose conversations that get no positive results. It creates tension and ill-will. It’s nasty. Even if there is someone who seems to be deserving of a slap-down or a put-down or a straightening-up, it isn’t the appropriate way to improve things.

If you are a manger or supervisor and you hear or observe something that seems malicious or spiteful: Stop the behavior immediately, investigate it further and if you were correct in your observations, direct the employee to never do it again. Make it clear that the behavior was not useful, not professional and not acceptable. If there was provocation, deal with that as well. But, make sure the petty, vengeful behavior stops.

If you are the target of spite and malice: Don’t respond with more of it. Get it out in the open and let the other person know you heard it or felt it. See if you can deal with the underlying problem. Find out if you have created part of the problem. If that doesn’t help, document what happened and the effect it had on you and others and ask for assistance in getting it stopped. Don’t drop hints, act like a long-suffering victim or gossip about the other person, just ask for help in a reasonable way.

Some good comments when confronting directly:
“You say that as though you’re joking, but I don’t think you mean it that way. How do you mean it?”

“It seems as though you are purposely resisting this. Is it because of me or because of the idea or both?”

“It seems like there is some hidden message in what you’re saying. If you talk to me directly maybe we can get things in the open and deal with it.”

If you are tempted to be malicious or spiteful: One indicator of spite and malice is sneaky, behind the scenes, manipulative behavior designed to harm someone else. But you can also be nasty and mean right out in the open. A good test is this: What results are you trying to get?

If you are trying to make life difficult for someone else or trying to harm them or their work in some way, stop yourself before someone else has to stop you. Find the root cause for your feelings of anger or agression and deal with those issues.

The bottom line: No one ever looked more professional after showing spite or malice. No one has ever brought about positive changes through malicious or spiteful behavior. Stop it when you observe it and don’t do it yourself.

In card games it can be fun to block other players in every hand they play, while chortling to yourself or openly about it. At work, the stakes are too high to play those kind of games.

July 7th, 2010 Posted by TLR | Challenging and Problematic People, Personal and Professional Development, Supervision and Management | 8 comments

Sail On, O Ship of State!

Fourth of July, 2010

The term Ship of State has been used as a metaphor for the governing body of a country since Plato wrote The Republic, in 380 B.C.  Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) wrote a lengthy–and very metaphorical!–poem, Building the Ship, about the union of states that formed the United States.

The most well-known lines of that poem are the last few stanzas, which are particularly appropriate this 4th of July. There is no hysteria about how bad things are or might be in the future and there is no mean-spirited nastiness about the storms that shake the ship. There is only resoluteness, confidence and positive will. Even if you don’t usually read poetry, give this a try.  

Building the Ship

Thou, too, sail on, O Ship of State!
Sail on, O Union, strong and great!
Humanity with all its fears,
With all the hopes of future years,
Is hanging breathless on thy fate!
We know what Master laid the keel,
What Workmen wrought thy ribs of steel,
Who made each mast, and sail, and rope,
What anvils rang, what hammers beat,
In what forge and what a heat
Were shaped the anchors of thy hope!
Fear not each sudden sound and shock,
‘Tis of the wave and not the rock;
‘Tis but the flapping of the sail,
And not a rent made by the gale!
In spite of rock and tempest’s roar,
In spite of false lights on the shore,
Sail on, nor fear to breast the sea!
Our hearts, our hopes, are all with thee,
Our hearts, our hopes, our prayers, our tears,
Our faith triumphant o’er our fears,
Are all with thee, – are all with thee!

Have a very fun–but thoughtful, hopeful and memory-making–July 4th, 2010!

July 2nd, 2010 Posted by TLR | Life and Work | 3 comments