PAUSE – 9.43 – Shifting Into Neutral
December 9, 2009
Greetings from Calgary where the snow is deep and the toes are cold. I’m enjoying rubbing shoulders with a couple of hundred of my colleagues at the annual convention of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers. Hope your week is going well, too.
REFLECTION:
Recently, I’ve been dipping into Marshall Goldsmith’s book, ‘What Got You Here Won’t Get You There’. Goldsmith is an executive coach who has helped many high performing individuals ditch some of the bad habits that are holding them back from even more stellar success.
Greetings from Calgary where the snow is deep and the toes are cold. I’m enjoying rubbing shoulders with a couple of hundred of my colleagues at the annual convention of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers. Hope your week is going well, too.
REFLECTION: Recently, I’ve been dipping into Marshall Goldsmith’s book, ‘What Got You Here Won’t Get You There’. Goldsmith is an executive coach who has helped many high performing individuals ditch some of the bad habits that are holding them back from even more stellar success.
Goldsmith points out that many of our development efforts are focused on teaching people what to do – and that not nearly enough time is spent showing people what they need to stop doing. He describes the latter approach as shifting from ‘negative’ into ‘neutral’. (more…)
PAUSE – 9.42 – Defining Moments
December 2, 2009
REFLECTION:
This is a bit of a diversion from the usual Pause fare, but football is on my mind this week. If you are from Saskatchewan or follow the CFL (Canadian Football League), you’ll know that our beloved Roughriders competed in the Grey Cup final on Sunday.
The Riders played well against a formidable opponent – at least until the final moments of the game. With seconds to go and the lead in hand, a Saskatchewan error (one too many players on the field) gave the Alouettes a second chance after a botched field goal. This time the Montreal kick was successful and the Alouettes clinched the title by just one point.
With the flick of a flag and the tip of a toe, Roughrider players, coaches and fans took a nose dive from elation to deflation. I’m sure the players are struggling mightily to come to terms with the error and its impact. Yes, it’s only a game – but these guys put their hearts and souls into it.
Now, I’m neither a professional sports woman nor even an amateur, for that matter. However, the Rider schmozola reminds me of a memorable football moment of my own. At the tender age of 13, in a pick up game with friends, I went long for a pass. Losing my footing, I face-planted in the gravel, planing the skin from my chin before coming to a grinding halt in the middle of the yard. Painful and embarrassing are how I would describe the experience – even though there were no fans on the sidelines to witness my fall.
What made the situation more challenging, was that my accident occurred only a few days before the Frosh Dance – my first big high school social debut. To go, or not to go? That was the question. I ended up attending the dance, sporting a giant scab the size of a 50 cent piece smack dab in the middle of my chin.
ACTION:
In retrospect, it was a defining moment. I have observed, over the years, that it’s not our errors and mishaps that define us; it’s how we handle the aftermath and the fallout that make the difference.
A self-conscious teenager could have caved to vanity and ego, but in deciding to attend the dance, somehow found the strength to declare that appearances only matter when you let them.
I hope the Rider players and coaches find a way to tap into their courage in the aftermath of one of the most challenging experiences of their professional careers.
And when you find yourself skidding on the rough patches in your life and work, I hope that you, too, find a way (in the words of that old 1930’s classic) to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again.
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
“You’re stronger than you think.” – Patricia Morgan
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RESOURCE OF THE WEEK:
For inspiration and strategies for increasing resilience, check out Patricia Morgan’s latest book, “From Woe To Wow: How Resilient Women Succeed At Work.” You can preview the highlights of Patricia’s message at: http://www.slideshare.net/PatriciaMorgan/woe-to-wow
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READERS WRITE:
In response to last week’s message, Shifting Perspective, Pause reader BT writes: “I’ve been a Pause subscriber for some time now and try to take a life hint from each article. This one on perspective was particularly interesting because I live my life that way as much as my busy schedule allows. I use different routes to travel to the same destination, and try to observe something different each time, participating in a totally foreign activity or reading on a subject that is likewise. I try to keep the mind alive and awake to every sense and opportunity and your articles lead me that way. Thank you for the ideas.”
REFLECTION: This is a bit of a diversion from the usual Pause fare, but football is on my mind this week. If you are from Saskatchewan or follow the CFL (Canadian Football League), you’ll know that our beloved Roughriders competed in the Grey Cup final on Sunday.
The Riders played well against a formidable opponent – at least until the final moments of the game. With seconds to go and the lead in hand, a Saskatchewan error (one too many players on the field) gave the Alouettes a second chance after a botched field goal. This time the Montreal kick was successful and the Alouettes clinched the title by just one point.
With the flick of a flag and the tip of a toe, Roughrider players, coaches and fans took a nose dive from elation to deflation. I’m sure the players are struggling mightily to come to terms with the error and its impact. Yes, it’s only a game – but these guys put their hearts and souls into it. (more…)
PAUSE – 9.41 – Shifting Perspective
November 25, 2009
REFLECTION:
Many of the hours and days of our lives are spent travelling down old familiar roads. Start here, drive there, turn here, stop there. Get up tomorrow and travel the same route all over again. When we pause to seek out new adventures, we end up thinking and feeling differently.
Husband, Dave, and I have just returned from a ten day trip to Arizona – part work, part play, all fun. While visiting with friends in Tucson, we took advantage of the opportunity to step outside our everyday routine. Our friends had arranged glider rides over the Sonoran Desert with the Tucson Soaring Club, and a descent into the limestone caves at Kartchner Caverns in the Chihuahua Desert. Talk about the heights and the depths on back to back days!
It was my first experience in a glider. I enjoyed the quiet calm of sailing through the air – no motors, no PA announcements, no pretzels, no cookies, no distractions. Just me, the pilot, the plane and the hawks enjoying a 360 degree view of a desert and mountains that had evolved over thousands of years.
It was my first experience trekking into caves below the surface of the earth. Above ground nothing to write home about – sand, hills, cactus and scrub. Below ground – another world entirely. Spectacular stalactites and stalagmites, intricate and colorfl formations of glossy sediments deposited minute by minute, hour by hour, by thousands of droplets of water over tens of thousands of years.
ACTION:
Both the heights and the depths bring new perspectives on life. From up high and down below, life’s surface concerns grow smaller and more distant until they fall away completely- trumped by the beauty, peace and splendor of this moment in time and place.
What a gift to get away – to discover a fresh perspective on the world in which we live, love, work and travel.
What adventures – large or small – near or far – might bring you a new way of looking at the everyday-ness of life?
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
A couple of observations by John Muir:
“I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in.”
“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.”
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RESOURCE OF THE WEEK:
Add a mini getaway adventure to your day with a visit to the Kartchner Caverns State Park website – featuring video, photos, and the story of the caverns’ discovery and protection: http://azstateparks.com/Parks/KACA/index.html
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READERS WRITE:
In response to the last Pause message, ‘What’s On Your Plate?’, reader GN writes: What a timely message for me, especially, but I think for most people. There really IS a tendency to say “Sure, no problem, I can fit that in!” Then, before we know it, workload expands to exceed hours available. I know that I have recently been looking at what I must do as opposed to what I can do. Your message in today’s Pause was a great reinforcement for me to stay on track and be reasonable, practical, and balanced in time and task management. I will try and refer to it routinely to keep from overloading my plate! Thanks!
REFLECTION: Many of the hours and days of our lives are spent travelling down old familiar roads. Start here, drive there, turn here, stop there. Get up tomorrow and travel the same route all over again. When we pause to seek out new adventures, we end up thinking and feeling differently.
Husband, Dave, and I have just returned from a ten day trip to Arizona – part work, part play, all fun. While visiting with friends in Tucson, we took advantage of the opportunity to step outside our everyday routine. Our friends had arranged glider rides over the Sonoran Desert with the Tucson Soaring Club, and a descent into the limestone caves at Kartchner Caverns in the Chihuahua Desert. Talk about the heights and the depths on back to back days! (more…)
PAUSE – 9.40 – What’s On Your Plate?
November 4, 2009
REFLECTION:
“Look’s like your eyes are bigger than your stomach.
Seems like you’ve bitten off more than you can chew.
You took it, you eat it.”
I can’t pinpoint the precise source of those messages in my life. However, the cautionary notes still ring in my ears from time to time. These warnings also echo when I listen to clients despair about the overload and overwhelm in their workplaces and their lives.
It’s not surprising that we end up in an occasional or frequent state of overload. Here we are with this giant smorgasbord called life spread out in front of us. As we make our way through life’s buffet line, we’re sorely tempted by all the tantalizing possibilities on offer.
If you’re anything like me, by the time you get to the end of any food line (despite your best intentions to exercise restraint along the way) you can’t believe how wide and deep you’ve piled your plate. The same holds true when it comes to the number of tasks we load up as we travel life’s grand buffet.
ACTION:
Research shows that the bigger your plate, the more likely you are to overeat. So it stands to reason, that one of the best strategies for cutting down on overeating is to start with a smaller plate.
A similar strategy might be worth exploring on the task front. When we assume that we have a full 24 hours up for grabs every day of the week, there is less reason to be cautious about the number and size of commitments we pile on our plate.
If, however, we first set aside a reasonable number of hours for rest, renewal and self care, we reduce the size of the proverbial plate we make available for life’s other demands.
Interestingly, investing those hours in self care also assures that we’re healthier, stronger, and better able to carry the load. It’s like trading in your saggy, soggy paper plate for strong, substantial china.
Try apportioning those self care hours first. See what kind of difference it makes in the way you load and carry your plate of life.
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
“Don’t dig your grave with your own knife and fork.” – English Proverb
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RESOURCE OF THE WEEK:
Setting priorities can be a daunting challenge. Here, with my compliments, is a link to a bundle of priority setting tools that I’ve provided to help you and your team or family decide what gets tackled first: http://www.pauseworks.com/renewal/documents/PrioritizingTools.pdf
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READERS WRITE:
In response to last week’s message, Asking For Help, Pause reader S writes: Recently, I asked for help because I was troubled by a personal matter as well as a job loss crisis. Responses varied tremendously. Some people seemed to view my requests as broad invitations to criticize, while others have been good listeners and have offered positive encouragement. This exercise has reminded me to be very discerning about my audience. Choose your confidants carefully – especially if you are feeling vulnerable.
REFLECTION: “Look’s like your eyes are bigger than your stomach. Seems like you’ve bitten off more than you can chew. You took it, you eat it.”
I can’t pinpoint the precise source of those messages in my life. However, the cautionary notes still ring in my ears from time to time. These warnings also echo when I listen to clients despair about the overload and overwhelm in their workplaces and their lives.
It’s not surprising that we end up in an occasional or frequent state of overload. Here we are with this giant smorgasbord called life spread out in front of us. As we make our way through life’s buffet line, we’re sorely tempted by all the tantalizing possibilities on offer. (more…)
PAUSE – 9.39 – Asking For Help
October 28, 2009
REFLECTION:
I’ve been working on a new opening for a speech that I’ll be giving in Phoenix next month. After having drafted out my ideas, I asked a few colleagues of mine who are blessed with an abundance of wit and humor for their reactions and advice.
I just heard back from the first of my buddies. He offered some great suggestions and reassured me I was on the right track. Now I’m even more excited about doing some additional tweaking and tuning.
On the same day, a colleague of mine contacted me and asked if I’d contribute to a bonus package of items that she was putting together as a purchasing incentive to help market her new book. Our messages are complimentary to each other, so I was happy to give her a hand and add to her bundle.
What do these two experiences have in common? The practice of reaching out for help and asking for what you need.
It has been my experience that friends, family and colleagues are more than willing to lend a helping hand. But if you and I can’t identify the need or find the confidence or humility to make the request, those generous offers of caring and support are much less likely to surface.
ACTION:
What do you need? And where can you help? Pay close attention at work and at home. Someone just might need support; and at any given time it could be you or me on the giving or receiving end of the equation.
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
“He who is afraid of asking is ashamed of learning.” – Danish Proverb
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RESOURCE OF THE WEEK:
Here’s an interesting article from the Business section of the New York Times titled, “Why Is Asking For Help So Difficult?” See: http://tinyurl.com/yhxcasw
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READERS WRITE:
In response to last week’s message on ‘Buckling Down’, Pause reader GJ writes: Well, this is one of the most timely messages I have received in ages! I’m in a wonderful new position. After 20 years at home raising my children, I’ve been easing into part time work. For the last 8 months I’ve been working full time. I love the learning curve around my new position; but prioritizing, managing the interruptions and trying to remain focused on task is a weakness. Today YOU have just written out what I need to place in front of me to help me transition to a more productive day. Thank you!
REFLECTION: I’ve been working on a new opening for a speech that I’ll be giving in Phoenix next month. After having drafted out my ideas, I asked a few colleagues of mine who are blessed with an abundance of wit and humor for their reactions and advice. I just heard back from the first of my buddies. He offered some great suggestions and reassured me I was on the right track. Now I’m even more excited about doing some additional tweaking and tuning.
On the same day, a colleague of mine contacted me and asked if I’d contribute to a bonus package of items that she was putting together as a purchasing incentive to help market her new book. Our messages are complimentary to each other, so I was happy to give her a hand and add to her bundle.
What do these two experiences have in common? (more…)
PAUSE – 9.38 – Buckling Down
October 21, 2009
REFLECTION:
As I write this, it’s 4:30 on Monday afternoon, and I’m feeling GOOD!
My time in the office is limited this week, and it was important for me to accomplish a few of those ‘Must Do’ items today. Otherwise, I knew I’d be scrambling as the week moved along – feeling pressured and just a wee bit frenzied at every step.
It’s amazing how satisfying it was to check those essentials off the list. Sure, there are things still not done, but the time sensitive tasks are behind me.
Makes me wonder why I don’t buckle down, focus, and work this way more often.
ACTION:
The success strategy looked like this:
* List the top five critical tasks – in order of importance (not ease or interest). Keep that list directly in front of you.
* Right from the first moment of the day, start on the number one task. Work it to completion before moving on to number two.
* After each outside interruption, reorient yourself with the list, and immediately return to working on the task at hand.
* Refuse to interrupt yourself by giving in to the impulses to: check email, place low priority phone calls, or flip through items of lesser importance perched on the periphery of your vision or attention.
It’s not rocket science – but it is structured. Give it a serious try for an hour – a morning – a day. See what kind of a dent this approach makes on your list and how much it reduces your feelings of overload or overwhelm.
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
“You don’t have to be good to start, but you have to start to be good.” – Mary Marshall
“If I ever made any valuable discoveries, it has been owing more to patient attention than to any other talent.” – Sir Isaac Newton
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RESOURCE OF THE WEEK:
I’m only 50 pages into this book, but I’m really enjoying Lucy Jo Palladino’s insights in ‘Find Your Focus Zone’. Published 2007 by Simon & Schuster. You can check out the first chapter online at: http://www.yourfocuszone.com/bks_fyfz_ch1.html
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READERS WRITE:
Pause reader, MT writes: In my desire to do a good job and help people out, I have been working too much. I have a mountain of tasks, and have been thinking if I just keep working on them, the mountain will go away. I have tried to enlist the help of others where I can, but the mountain still looms and grows.
My efforts were wearing me down, making it harder for me to provide good service. So rather than continuously pushing that rock up the mountain, I decided to use my banked hours and flex time arrangements to take a day off every week.
I find most people who take a day off choose Friday or Monday. This gives them a short week and a long weekend. But instead, I’m taking Wednesdays off. I don’t get the longer weekend stretch, but I often don’t need it. Instead, by taking off Wednesdays, my “hump-day” disappears entirely. I get two short work weeks and two “weekends”.
Instead of getting worn down during the week and waiting for the weekend, I rest up and stay energized throughout the week. Sometimes the arrangement is a bit tricker for meetings and multi-day events, and I occasionally need to come in on my day off. But as more people know that’s what I’m doing, it gets easier. And, as an added benefit on those Wednesdays off, I also have more time to relax and enjoy the Pause newsletter as it arrives – hot off the press!
REFLECTION: As I write this, it’s 4:30 on Monday afternoon, and I’m feeling GOOD!
My time in the office is limited this week, and it was important for me to accomplish a few of those ‘Must Do’ items today. Otherwise, I knew I’d be scrambling as the week moved along – feeling pressured and just a wee bit frenzied at every step.
It’s amazing how satisfying it was to check those essentials off the list. Sure, there are things still not done, but the time sensitive tasks are behind me.
Makes me wonder why I don’t buckle down, focus, and work this way more often. (more…)
PAUSE – 9.37 – Reality Check
October 15, 2009
REFLECTION:
A few weeks ago, I entertained a fantasy about how Thanksgiving might unfold this year. I come from a good sized farm family that has a long history of gathering the clan for special occasions. And so, I issued the Thanksgiving dinner invitation to my folks, my kids, my sisters and their extended families.
Although some family members are too far away to drop in for dinner, those most likely to be in the vicinity number 20 or more. In my mind, I picture a large group gathered in my home enjoying a turkey dinner with all the trimmings, leisurely drifting between house and garden throughout a warm, sunny fall afternoon.
Here’s how it actually unfolded. Everyone except my own youngsters and my parents had other plans. In the end, my parents ended up under the weather on ‘turkey day’ and elected to stay home rather than spread the bug. The weatherman delivered snow and temperatures well below zero. The garden that had still been quite beautiful the week before was frozen solid!
You might think I’d be disappointed – and I confess to having experienced a twinge or two in the run up to the event. However, it turned out to be a great Thanksgiving after all.
The small group made for lots of close and easy visits. There was less pressure to meet conflicting timetables for getting dinner on the table, and a small enough group that we actually sat at the table instead of balancing plates on our knees buffet-style. One sister and her family dropped over later in the day for a fun visit over coffee and pie.
The day after the dinner, my daughter, grandson and I delivered a ‘meals on wheels’ version of Thanksgiving leftovers to my folks at the farm, resulting in another good visit at that end. And, the weather, although chilly, was still decent enough to get outdoors for a few short walks.
ACTION:
I’m reminded of the importance of not letting some fantasy picture of perfection interfere with enjoying the reality that unfolds on our doorsteps.
When life knocks at the door, open up, and welcome it in. Although, it may not be what you had expected, it could turn out even better than you’d imagined!
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
“Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action.” – W.J. Cameron
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RESOURCE OF THE WEEK:
Here’s a tool to help you pay attention to the appreciative power of positive action. Print a copy of Pause Check and post it where you’ll be reminded of a few of the small but significant experiences that make up a very good day: http://www.pauseworks.com/library/documents/PauseCheck.pdf
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READERS WRITE:
In response to last week’s message, Get A ‘Smove On, Pause reader LR writes: “I always enjoy receiving your uplifting messages. At times, I sadly don’t take the time to read them as thoroughly as I should and this is my loss. I took the time today and you know it was the best start I’ve had to my mornings in a couple of weeks. Smile & Move is simple, clear, and easy to read. Best of all it has a message that I honour. I try to reflect these behaviours in my personal walk in life. Refreshers on what life should be and can be are sunbeams that keep this human going.”
REFLECTION: A few weeks ago, I entertained a fantasy about how Thanksgiving might unfold this year. I come from a good sized farm family that has a long history of gathering the clan for special occasions. And so, I issued the Thanksgiving dinner invitation to my folks, my kids, my sisters and their extended families.
Although some family members are too far away to drop in for dinner, those most likely to be in the vicinity number 20 or more. In my mind, I picture a large group gathered in my home enjoying a turkey dinner with all the trimmings, leisurely drifting between house and garden throughout a warm, sunny fall afternoon.
Here’s how it actually unfolded. (more…)
PAUSE – 9.36 – Get a ‘Smove On
October 7, 2009
REFLECTION:
I don’t know about you, but some days it’s pretty easy for me to get distracted noodling around the web. A simple query takes me to web site A. An interesting link lures me to site B. Site B suggests a detour to site C. And so it goes.
It’s a bit like meandering through the streets and canals of Venice. You know you’re lost. You have no idea where you are. You’re not sure how you got there, or where you’re going. There’s always something enticing just around the corner, beckoning from a distance. But, still the journey itself is highly engaging.
And, so it was – meandering around the web one day – that I stumbled upon the Smile & Move site. Smile & Move is a ‘smovement’ created by a media group in Richmond, Virginia.
In brief, their goal is to encourage others to participate in the world in two important ways: by building connections and by making contributions.
Building high quality connections by becoming more attentive, engaged and interested in the people around you. Getting a move on in the service of others by finding ways to contribute without excuse or complaint.
ACTION:
It’s an engaging message. Check it out for yourself at: http://www.smileandmove.com
Be forewarned, though. Exploring the site is definitely more of an amble than a sprint.
Watching the 3 minute ‘smovie’ is a good place to start for an overview of the ‘smovement’: http://www.smileandmove.com/smovie/.
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
“Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
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RESOURCE OF THE WEEK:
If you are so moved, share the ‘smile & move’ message around your office through the mini-posters provided as a complimentary download at: http://www.smileandmove.com/resources/
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READERS WRITE:
In response to last week’s message, Tuning In & Tuning Out, Pause reader LC writes: “How we deal with interruptions may show where our heart really is. Somehow we want things to go smoothly without a bump in the road.
An interruption of sorts that became a huge irritation for me was around the coffee pot at work. The understanding is that when you take the last cup, you make a fresh pot. There always seemed to be some who would forget, or ignore, the rule. It rankled me and I thought that my time was just as valuable as that of others. What right had the other person to interrupt my finely tuned schedule? Why should I have to make coffee when he or she should have done it?
I don’t recall when it happened, but at some point, I changed my thinking and purposed to use coffee making time for a moment of gratitude. Now, when I make a pot at the office, whether I or another person took the last cup, I choose to let that time be a signal to be grateful. I am grateful for my job, for my health (which at one time seriously jeopardized my job), for interesting and fulfilling work, for family, for friends. Life is full of irritations. We can choose to be upset, to worry, or to take time for gratitude. “
REFLECTION: I don’t know about you, but some days it’s pretty easy for me to get distracted noodling around the web. A simple query takes me to web site A. An interesting link lures me to site B. Site B suggests a detour to site C. And so it goes.
It’s a bit like meandering through the streets and canals of Venice. You know you’re lost. You have no idea where you are. You’re not sure how you got there, or where you’re going. There’s always something enticing just around the corner, beckoning from a distance. But, still the journey itself is highly engaging.
And, so it was – meandering around the web one day – that I stumbled upon the Smile & Move site. Smile & Move is a ‘smovement’ created by a media group in Richmond, Virginia.
In brief, their goal is to encourage others to participate in the world in two important ways: by building connections and by making contributions. (more…)
PAUSE – 9.35 – Tuning In & Tuning Out
September 30, 2009
REFLECTION:
Ever watch a teen or twenty text and twitter? If so, you might envy their finely tuned ability to coordinate thumbs and ideas, communicating with abandon. These folks respond to friends and colleagues at top speed while appearing to tend to other tasks at hand with ease. However, the youthful advantage may not be as rosy as it seems.
The Institute for Innovation & Information Productivity and the Institute for the Future of the Mind recently conducted joint research, asking: What kind of impact does communication technology have on our ability to accomplish a challenging task?
Two groups were assigned a timed task that required a high level of concentration. They were asked to use a code to translate images into numbers in 90 seconds. As they worked on the task, volunteers were interrupted with either a telephone call, a text message via phone, or an instant message via desktop computer.
Members of one test group were 18 to 21 years of age. The other test group members were 35 to 39 years of age. The young ‘uns, having grown up with technology in their hands and lives, were expected to outperform the older group who had learned their way around the techno tools as adults.
The results? With no interruptions, the younger group performed ten percent better at the task than the older test group. However, when the interruptions were introduced, the 18-21 year olds lost their advantage.
Meanwhile, the performance of the older age group changed very little with the introduction of the interruptions. The 35-39 year olds were more easily able to accommodate switching attention from task to interruption and back again with minimal decline in performance.
The ‘elders’ may think more slowly, but were better able to block interruptions and choose their focus. Granted, they weren’t quite as fast as the younger set in the first place. However, it appears that the constant connectedness and reactivity of the millenials can take a toll on performance.
ACTION:
What’s the take away message? Practise maintaining your focus in the midst of external demands on your attention. Cultivate your ability to assess the importance of a new call for attention relative to the track you are on when it arrives. Become more discerning and you’ll be far more focused and effective – no matter what your age!
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
“Interruptions can be viewed as sources of irritation or opportunities for service, as moments lost or experience gained, as time wasted or horizons widened. They can annoy us or enrich us, get under our skin or give us a shot in the arm. Monopolize our minutes or spice our schedules, depending on our attitude toward them.” – William Arthur Ward
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RESOURCE OF THE WEEK:
For a related article see the NYTimes piece titled, “Slow Down, Brave Multitasker, and Donít Read This in Traffic” at: http://tiny.cc/suaHf
REFLECTION: Ever watch a teen or twenty text and twitter? If so, you might envy their finely tuned ability to coordinate thumbs and ideas, communicating with abandon. These folks respond to friends and colleagues at top speed while appearing to tend to other tasks at hand with ease. However, the youthful advantage may not be as rosy as it seems.
The Institute for Innovation & Information Productivity and the Institute for the Future of the Mind recently conducted joint research, asking: What kind of impact does communication technology have on our ability to accomplish a challenging task? (more…)
PAUSE – 9.34 – Work Life Research Update
September 23, 2009
REFLECTION: Wondering what’s happened with work-life balance issues given the recent downturn in the economy? CEB, the Washington based Corporate Executive Board which advises high performing organizations around the world, offers a few insights in their August 2009 report on the issues. Of note are these developments:
- financial instability has fueled work-life balance pressures.
- growing demands and heavy workloads have reduced employee engagement and morale.
- work-life balance has risen on employees’ priority wish lists while their satisfaction with achieving it has fallen.
Bad news for individuals, certainly. But why would organizations care? (more…)
