The Importance of Crossing Daily Finish Lines
I needed to file this one in the “sroda” blog for reference so I can re-read and see if I am applying this. Pretty good stuff for maintaining focus.. Again from Michael Hyatts blog.. http://michaelhyatt.com/crossing-daily-finish-lines.html
One of the most memorable moments of my life was crossing the finish line of the Comrades Ultra-Marathon.
After eighty-nine kilometers (fifty-six miles), and a grueling eleven hours and thirty-four minutes on the road, hand-in-hand with my mom, I crossed the finish line. We gave each other a hug and each shed a tear. It was a powerful moment I will never forget.
And it got me thinking about finishing lines—about how we don’t need them just at the end of a long hard race, but at the end of long hard day, too.
Something you never see an athlete doing is going back over the line to run some more. Of course not; the race is over!
Yet, so often in my own life, even though the “race” of a workday is over, I continue to “run”—to check email, answer calls, stress about problems at the office—when really I should be resting, relaxing, and giving my presence to my family.
That’s why this year I have started to intentionally create “finishing lines” at the end of everyday.
This is a space where I draw an imaginary line in the sand and choose to put the day behind me, shifting my attitude, heart, and thoughts towards the next part of my day—whether that’s exercise, recreation, or family time. Here’s how I do it:
As the final activity before leaving work in the evening, I set aside twenty minutes to take stock of what’s happened today and decide the most important tasks to accomplish tomorrow.
I do this by asking myself a series of questions:
- How did the day go? What success did I experience? What challenges?
- What did I learn today? About myself? About others? What do I plan to do differently, or the same, tomorrow?
- Who did I interact with? Anyone I need to update? Thank? Apologize? Ask a question? Share feedback?
Taking this time to reflect allows me to clarify my thoughts, collect myself, refuel and renew my mind, and make conscious “course corrections” that ultimately save time and energy. And it’s made all the difference.
Since I have started this practice, I am far less grumpy when I arrive home. I feel more in control, and am more clear about what I still have to accomplish.
Most importantly, it enables me to “switch off” from work when I’m at home and engage fully with the people I love most.
Crossing your finish line, whether at the end of a race or at the end of the day, is something that not only leaves you feeling satisfied and fulfilled, but motivates you to finish well.
Happy You, Complainers, Change, and Self Awareness
I read this post this morning and really liked it because it applied to a lot of people I know and how I think about things so I wanted to file this on my blog. Here are a couple of thoughts from Michaels post with action items that I wanted to comment on.
- Being Self Aware – I am around a lot of people daily and I don’t think they realize what “vibe” they put out. Are you frowning, sitting up straight, engaged because it matters what others see. Complainers are one of my biggest things because it is such a drain. If there is a problem, state it with some solutions as this is WAY better in my mind vs. just complaigning. I don’t think people know how much they complaign a day and the affect it has from a self talk standpoint… My back hurts, I ate too much, too much to do around the house, etc…. I challenge myself and others to take tally of this and reduce it until it is gone. Just Decide to Change.
- Shift Your Identity – This one is pretty cool. You have to see yourself as who you want to be then you get there. The professional athlete that wins, see’s themself as winning. This happened with one person I work with who was an account manager in the sales department, but saw himself as a technical consultant. Today, he is rockin as a technical consultant – it just works. See it, then Do it. You don’t plan to fail, you just fail to plan…. – right?
- Smile – Simple, Easy, and Works. Affects you and others more than you know..
- Catch them doing something right OR how I think is Pick them Up when they Fall – I like this one and have heard this before. Complimenting good is always good in my book. The other additive is pick them up when they fall. In this world we know we are all going to fail. It is our natural nature (don’t have to like it), but it is where we are. As when I fail, it is really nice when people are there to catch me, dust me off, and put me back in motion. Try it with someone, if fuels your soul and nothing will feel better than giving.
Those are my quick thoughts on Michaels post below as I recommend reading it. He is the author, I am just the doer which is what we all should strive for…
From Michael Hyatt – Becoming a Happy Person…
7 Steps to Becoming a Happy Person Others Want to Be Around
Several months ago, my wife, Gail, and I attended an industry mixer at a conference we were attending. Almost immediately, I was cornered by an author who proceeded to complain about all the incompetent people in his life.
He grumbled about his literary agent, his booking agent, and his publisher. No one, it seems, measured up to his standards. I tried to change the subject, but he persisted.
The conversation made me feel very uncomfortable. I finally had enough and excused myself. I felt a little rude, but I didn’t want to steep in his brew of negativity.
As I thought about this, I realized how destructive complaining about others is. My author friend didn’t make me think less of the people he grumbled about; it made me think less of him.
Complaining about others has the potential to hurt you in four specific ways.
- It trains your brain. I remember when I bought my first Lexus. I never really noticed Lexus cars before. But suddenly, they seemed to be everywhere. This demonstrates the principle that you see more of what you notice. If you focus on people’s faults, you will find even more of them.
- It makes you miserable. My author friend was not happy. His humor was biting and sarcastic. He seemed entitled and discontent. His attitude was highly toxic—which was why I felt the need to get away from him. He was contagious!
- People pull away. One of the consequences of complaining is that healthy people don’t want to hang around you. They avoid you. As a result, you miss scores of great opportunities, both social and business ones.
- People don’t trust you. This is perhaps the saddest consequence of all. As my friend was complaining about others, I began to wonder, What does he say about me when I am not around. I then instinctively thought, I don’t trust him.
After I left the presence of my negative friend, I bumped into an agent friend, who is one of the most positive, encouraging people I know. He told me about all the great things happening in his life and business.
Whenever he mentioned someone’s name, he raved about them. He exuded gratitude. I didn’t want to leave his presence. It was like balm to my soul.
My second friend was such a contrast to the first, it made me realize these are two entirely different mindsets and approaches to life. The good news is that if you are a negative person, you don’t have to stay that way.
Here are seven steps to reversing this pattern and becoming a happy person others trust and want to be around.
- Become self-aware. Are you a negative person? Do you tend to see the glass half empty or half full? If you are in doubt, ask your spouse or a close friend for candid feedback. Negativity is costing you more than you know. Frankly, it’s like having bad breath or b.o.
- Assess your needs. What need are you attempting to meet by complaining? Perhaps the need for connection? Maybe a need for significance? Are there better, more healthy ways to meet these needs?
- Decide to change. Complaining is a habit. And like all bad habits, change begins when you own your behavior and make a decision to change. It doesn’t have to be a long, drawn out process. It will take conscious effort at first, but it will become automatic over time. You can start today.
- Shift your identity. The most powerful change happens when we modify our identity. When I declared myself an athlete, daily exercise suddenly became easier. What if you said to yourself, I am a positive, encouraging person? How would your behavior change?
- Greet others with a smile. According to health expert Ron Gutman, “smiling can help reduce the level of stress-enhancing hormones like cortisol, adrenaline, and dopamine, and increase the level of mood-enhancing hormones like endorphins.” While smiling has this impact on you, it also has a similar impact on others. This is one reason they unconsciously want to be around you.
- Catch them doing something right. The corollary to the principle “you see more of what you notice” is “you get more of what you notice. If you catch people doing what is right and complement them for it, guess what happens? They start doing more of it. This is not manipulation; it is influence. It too is contagious.
- Speak well of others. I’m not saying you shouldn’t deal with bad behavior by confronting it. I’m saying you should deal directly with the people involved rather than complaining about it to those who are neither part of the problem nor part of the solution. Your mama’s advice was right: “If you don’t have something positive to say, don’t say anything at all.”
While complaining about others may hurt them, ultimately it hurts you the worst. By becoming more aware and more intentional, you can become a person others seek out and want to be around
What do you wish you knew THEN that you know NOW?
I think about this a lot. I have discussed with a few colleagues on how to bring down knowledge 10 years. I have drawn circles within circles, my picture of generational knowledge and have pondered how to bring the knowledge down 2 or 3 generations. Michael Hyatt did the poll below and found some key things to know NOW. I love it. I will keep thinking of my idea (probably some type of mentoring), but really want to NOT make the same mistakes that others have made. That is one of my things 
. Mistakes (or failures) are ok to make because that means we are growing, we just don’t want to make them over again (and really not 3 times). Anyway, this is a great blog post from Michael Hyatt and I wanted to log it for myself.
From Michael Hyatt – What do you wish you knew then that you know now?
As I turned the corner from my 20s and entered into my 30s I
realized how much I thought I knew, when in reality I knew nothing. I began to
find myself as the fool repeating his folly in so many leadership decisions I
was making.
It was a humbling realization to say the least, but I would not be defeated.
Rather than accept the fact that folly was inevitable, I spent
the past twelve months polling fifteen respectable men I admire—men that have
lived lives of integrity, men who are faithful husbands, and have been deemed
successful in their chosen vocation.
The list of men I asked included President’s of Nationally known
Ministries and Corporations, Authors of best-selling books, CEOs, CFOs, a
Division 1 basketball coach, and even a man listed on the Forbes 400.
Many of these conversations were face-to-face, while a few were
correspondence via e-mail. Listing their names is not nearly as important as
listing their responses.
The question I asked these fifteen men was this, “What are three
things you know now that you wish you knew when you were thirty?”
I was hoping that these men would share the folly they had
experienced as leaders and in life, so that I might not repeat their mistakes.
The forty-five responses I received from these men were packed
with wisdom, humility, and truth that struck me to the core. I printed them
out, laminated them, and placed in my office where they serve as a daily
reminder and encouragement to lead well in all areas of my life.
Learning from the mistakes of others will help me avoid my own
mistakes and, therefore, be less likely to be “a fool who repeats his folly.” I
took the list of forty-five responses and reduced it down to the top fifteen.
Some of the men had similar answers, so I took one answer from each leader, so that
the list was not repetitive.
- The most important person you can lead is yourself.
- Nothing is more valuable than relationships.
- Maximize the moments with your children.
- Listen—you will never find the pulse of your family or
organization if you don’t learn to listen. - Worrying is temporary atheism. Rid yourself of worry.
- Become a better steward of your financial resources
through investments and wise decision-making. The older you get the more
you’ll want to give away, being able to do so begins with the financial
decisions you make today. - Balance—the words “No” and “Not now” are empowering
when accompanied with wisdom. - Spend time reading and receiving the Truth every
morning, because the world will only lie to you the rest of the day. - Saying “I’m sorry,” when spoken from a genuine heart,
has great healing power. - Character should always trump talent.
- Retreat and Rest—if ships don’t come back to the
harbor, they’ll eventually sink. - Don’t stop learning—you’re not as smart as you think.
- Learn to value patience. You’re likely to learn more
while you wait. - Time management—without it time will control you.
- Develop authentic and deep relationships with men who
will sharpen you and see through you.
I hope that for any of us that aspire to be great leaders, we
can look at this list that was compiled by men in their 50s, 60s, 70s, and even
80s, and learn from their lives well-lived. May we heed their wisdom as to
prevent folly in our endeavors to become better spouses, parents, and leaders.
13 Ways to Frustrate Your Employees
This is another post from Michael Hyatts blog. My blog is a collection and organization of thoughts and articles, so it may feel like a copy and paste (which could be at times), but really is just good stuff I want to organize, track and implement – thats it.
Any way, below are the bullets from his blog, if you want more detail, go to 13 Ways to Frustrate Your Employees from Michael Hyatt. If all of us can make this common practice and always get in the mind set of who is next and who we should be building, our lives would be a lot better. However, you will need to let go of EGO, and let GOD lead more. I really don’t know how that is a bad thing.
- Don’t Be Responsive
- Cancel meetings at the last minute
- Reprimand them in front of their peers
- Change your mind frequently
- Dont bother stating your expectations
- Always ask for what they don’t have with them
- Focus on superficial things rather than substance
- Assign them work, then micromanage the process
- Do all the talking
- Never recognize your people
- Catch them doing something wrong
- Communicate that you are the fount of all wisdom
- Be Moody
7 Rules for More Effective Meetings
I am summarizing the details from Michael Hyatt’s post, but need to have this so I can refer to it. I really would like our meetings to get here fast. For his post in detail see 7 Meetings Rules from Michael Hyatt.
- Establish hard edges.
- Create an agenda.
- State the desired outcome.
- Take written minutes
- Review the minutes and action items.
- Clarify action items.
- Determine the next meeting date
Improving the quality of meetings takes work. Every once in a while we need to step back from the meeting itself and ask, “How can we make our time together more productive?” We need to be honest. Meetings consume a lot of resources. The more efficient they are, the better the return on our investment.
Working for a Bigger Purpose
From http://michaelhyatt.com/working-for-a-bigger-purpose.html
What if work wasn’t just work? What if work was a vehicle to live and share a bigger purpose?
I believe there’s a flawed perception in our society that in order to live a life of purpose we have to leave our jobs and go solve world hunger, feed the homeless, move to Africa, or start a charity.
While these are all noble, needed causes with many who are called to do these very things, for others of us our bigger purpose can be found in the here and now, in the jobs we have, right under our noses. And when we find and live this purpose, it will provide the ultimate fuel for a meaningful life.
You may not build libraries around the world, but you can find the bigger purpose in reading to your children. You may not feed the homeless every day, but you can nourish your employees and customers with a smile, kind word, and care. And while you may not start your own non-profit organization, you can begin a charity initiative at work. After all, “charity” means “love in action.”
You can make a difference every day and touch the lives of everyone you meet. While these people may not be starving because of a lack of food, you can provide them with a different kind of nourishment that will feed their souls (and feed your own in the process).
Here are a few examples:
- I heard of a janitor who worked at NASA. And even though he was sweeping floors, he felt his bigger purpose was contributing to put a man on the moon.
- I met a bus driver who knows his purpose is to help kids stay off drugs.
- I met an administrative assistant who has become the Chief Energy Officer of her company.
- I received an email from a man in the mortgage business who sees his job as a way to help couples save their marriages by keeping their homes.
- I know a Popeye’s Chicken employee named Edith in the Atlanta Airport who makes thousands of air travelers smile each day.
The list goes on … ordinary people with an extra-ordinary purpose.
In any job our purpose waits for us to find it and live it.
I can’t tell you what your purpose should be, but I can tell you that every one of us can find a bigger purpose in the job we have.
I can tell you that every job, no matter how glorious or boring it may seem, will get mundane if we let it.
Purpose keeps it fresh. And when we are filled with purpose, we tap into an endless supply of energy.
Don’t wait until you go to Africa to start living with a mission. Don’t wait until the weekend to feed people who are hungry. Bring your mission to work, start working for a bigger purpose and nourish others in the process.
I read Jon Gordon’s stuff also and I enjoy it. Get the book below.
How to be your Spouse’s Best Friend
Just read this post from Michael Hyatt and thought is was a really great post. I definitely have been working on this and want to be Tanna’s best friend FOREVER.
Post from Michael Hyatt – How to be your Spouse’s Best Friend
What does marriage have to do with leadership? If you are married, everything. Nothing will undermine your effectiveness as a leader faster than a bad marriage. Your marriage is a living example of what it is like to be in a close relationship with you. This is why it is so important that leaders get this right if they want to influence others.
Unfortunately, we live in a culture that is very me-centered. Gail and I often talk to people who are frustrated with their spouses. Most of this stems from the fact that they are not getting what they think they need or want.
I am not saying that it is wrong to give voice to your needs. I am saying that it is often an ineffective way to get them met, unless you first sow the seeds of giving and servanthood. (This is also good practice for being a leader in any sphere of life.)
Gail and have been married for 33 years next month. We can both honestly say that we are one another’s best friends. We talk constantly, go on long walks together, and eat almost every meal together. We just love being in each other’s company.
But what if you don’t have this kind of relationship with your spouse? We work with enough couple’s to know that this kind of intimacy and friendship is rare.
But, honestly, we are not special. I don’t want to be naive, but I don’t think it is that difficult—if you are willing to make the investment.
If you are, then I would recommend three steps:
- Make a list of what you would want in a best-friend. If you were going to advertise on Craig’s List for a best friend, what would the ad look like? Perhaps it might look like this:
Wanted: Best Friend
Prospective candidates will:
-
- Make me feel good about being me.
- Affirm my best qualities (especially when I am feeling insecure)
- Call out the best in me, and hold me accountable to the best version of myself.
- Listen without judging or trying to fix me.
- Give me the benefit of the doubt.
- Extend grace to me when I am grumpy or having a bad day.
- Remember my birthday, favorite foods, music, and art.
- Know my story and love me regardless.
- Spend time with me, just because they enjoy my company.
- Speak well of me when I am not present.
- Serve me with a joyful spirit and without complaining.
- Speak the truth to me when no one else will.
- Never shame me, diminish me, or make me feel small.
- Become excited about what I am excited about.
- Celebrate my wins!
- Now become that person for your spouse. That’s right. Turn the table. Make this a list of the kind of friend you will become. I can promise you this: anyone who does half of these kinds of things will have more friends than he or she knows what to do with. But what if you focused this effort on your spouse? Think of the possibilities.
- Keep sowing the seeds, until the relationship blossoms. How long will it take to create this kind of relationship? It all depends on where you are starting. For some, it might be several months. For others, it might take years. Friendships are like gardens; they must be cultivated. The key is to be consistent and persistent—without expectations.
This is really nothing more than the application of the Golden Rule to marriage: “Do to others what you would want them to do to you” (Luke 6:31).
If couples would invest in one another like I am suggesting, the divorce rate would plummet. Romance is important. Sex is too. But a solid friendship is the foundation of everything else.
KPI’s and Icebergs
KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators) are the tips of the icebergs. Being able to get below the surface to see and understand what’s happening is critical to taking action, driving better outcomes, and effectively managing organizational performance
Agile Software Development in Practice
Wanted to file this away on my blog. David is one of the smarter guys I know and is taking us to world class development.
Post by David Dickinson (Director of Software Development) on March 22 2011
Naturally, after reviewing the fragile foundation that underpins the traditional development, the next step is to offer a solution to the problem: How can we effectively manage IT projects in a way that meets the customer’s goals without the usual cost/time overruns and with no diminution in quality? Agile development practices present an alternative that addresses the issues with conventional software development and also addresses the need for increased customer engagement.
What it is
Agile software development is based on four key values:
- Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
- Working software over comprehensive documentation
- Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
- Responding to change over following a plan
These values manifest themselves in a number of principles:[1]
1) The highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software. There is a strong correlation between overall quality of systems upon final delivery and how early and frequently partially functioning software was presented to users. Ultimately, working software is the primary measure of progress—everything else is inventory.
2) Welcome changing requirements, even late in development. Agile processes harness change for the customer’s competitive advantage.
3) Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, with a preference for the shorter timescale.
4) Business people and developers must work together closely (preferably daily) throughout the project.
5) The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within the development team is face-to-face conversation.
6) Simplicity, the art of maximizing the amount of work not done—is essential. The simplest path consistent with the goals of the project should always be taken.
7) The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams. Responsibilities are communicated to the team as a whole and team determines the best way to fulfill those responsibilities.
Conclusion
Development teams new to Agile often focus on the particular practices recommended by the various Agile methodologies, whether they plan on using XP, Scrum, DSDM or whatever method and fail to spend sufficient time reflecting on the values and principles that underpin the methodologies. I contend, however, that any time invested in such reflection will be handsomely rewarded. Inevitably, no particular Agile methodology will meet the needs of a particular team/project/customer combination precisely and so some modification will be necessary. If the preceding values and principles are kept in mind when those changes are made, it greatly increases the probability that the team will 1) not regress back into familiar, traditional, development habits, and 2) continue to serve their customers well.
