A Book Review

I'm but a few pages away from finishing Daniel Pink's "Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us" (a video link here will take to an RSA Animate during one of Mr. Pink's talks about motivation), and I must say that it was quite a good read. Very straight-forward and understandable, Mr. Pink breaks down the things people need most to be fully motivated, things which, unfortunately, many work places (not to mention schools! But a diatribe about standardized testing will come later, I'm sure) have failed to embrace. And from a personal perspective, the ideas of the book have begun to alter the way I hear people talk about work. Yesterday I was discussing ROWE (Results-Only Work Environment) with a classmate, and how places that have fully embraced it have forgone set schedules, meetings, and even mandating that work must be done from the office only, and her question was "Well, [the company of discussion] only has 22 employees. How would one go about managing a company of 300,000?". A fair question, but at the same time no one I've ever heard of directly oversees that many people solo, but more importantly, there's still this completely over-riding notion that people need to be "managed". That we have to have our tasks and assignments laid out for us and then babysat until they're done.

Here I think back to one of the first things any Leadership class discusses: the difference between leaders and managers. If we keep thinking that we need to layout an exact outline for someone to follow or it won't get done, all you're going to get is that. And nothing more. As a facilitator, one of my favorite things is seeing how different groups, different people approach a problem and find completely different solutions that accomplish the task. I don't tell them how it needs to be done. I suggest a final result, a goal, and the group comes up with, more often than not, a uniquely creative and innovative solution. Often something at least slightly different than I'd ever seen before.

I suppose if we simply begin to have confidence in people, they will surprise you. Anyway, good book, quick read, check it out!

Let's start from the beginning...

I suppose I should start from the beginning. I started this blog...well, I'm not entirely sure why, it just seemed like the next step, so here we are. I suppose it was originally supposed to be a soapbox from which I stand and spout my deep and sometimes witty insights of a wide variety of things. A platform from which I can preach and gripe, and, since it's the internet, remain in relative anonymity.

But after two posts I'm already tired of it. Face-to-face is more fun, more challenging, and more enlightening. So instead, I've decided to use this forum as a first-hand account of my observations from here on out. I plan on working toward a goal of healthier living (and I'm down 11 lbs since Christmas!), and reading a book a month (currently working through "Drive" by Daniel Pink before February when I intend to start "Out of Our Minds" by Ken Robinson). I plan on taking the GMAT and applying to a doctoral program. I plan on graduating with my Masters degree in Organizational Leadership, and am considering starting my own company as well as writing a book. I plan on drawing and writing, at least something, for 15 minutes each day. I plan on continuing to work as a facilitator, and learn more about anything and everything (currently the top 3 are solution-focused therapy, creativity, and motivation).

I figure that with all this going on, and yes, perhaps even some side observations pulled from my notes, I should be able to post once a week for at least the foreseeable future.

And now that I'm publishing this to the world wide web, I am creating some sort of accountability for myself. Here goes!

A New Resolution

Although not a "New Year's Resolution" (it just so happens that we find ourselves at the beginning of a new year...I don't see any necessity to wait for January 1 to begin self-improvement and self-betterment programs - why wait!), I've decided to adopt a resolution. I've decided to try to view events and things as they are. I've decided to avoid an inclination to label things as "good" or "bad". Things just are. Just as the phrase goes "One man's trash is another man's treasure", there can always be multiple stands from which to observe a phenomenon. Perhaps hardships and slip-ups are simply blessings in disguise?

A New Year

Here we are in 2012.
2011 seemed to have come and go so quickly, but I hear that happens more and more as life goes on. Before you know it, we’ll be starting 2022 without a second thought as to where the last decade had gone. 2012 will bring us another year older and hopefully another year wiser.

Will it be a perfect year? I doubt it. But will the good times far outweigh the bad? Most assuredly. We sit here at the cusp of a new year, full of hopes and ambitions for what the next 365 days will hold. And yet we found ourselves in this same position not too very long ago. Didn’t we have the same high hopes for 2011? And yet looking around and listening to many people reflect, 2011 was a year that people are glad to be rid of. Go check your social networking site and scroll through to find updates from people breathing a sigh of relief that 2011 has passed, that the uphill battles, heartache, and down times are gone, and how they’re looking ahead to 2012 with a hopeful eye.

But could these be the same feelings many had a year ago regarding the advent of 2011? What about 2010? As time continues to roll forward, what do we see when we look back? Are we only focusing on losing that job, or getting that traffic ticket, or breaking up with your significant other? I mean, of course the past looks grim when all we focus on is the hard times. But what about the good times? What about that night out with your friends? What about that night in with your loved ones? What about the fact that even if your car broken down one day, it got us where we needed to go every day before that? So as we embark on a new year, I encourage all of you to focus on the good, positive aspects of 2012, so when December 31, 2012 rolls around, our hope for 2013 can be equally matched with a smile for the past year.

Happy 2012 everybody!