Saskatoon

Michael Bungay Stanier, author of More Great Work, and founder of ‘Box of Crayons’ offers this cool 48 second video with words of inspiration for 2011. Great words – great ideas – great work.

REFLECTION: A fresh new year. A blank slate of days stretching forward. How best to use your time and your energy?

January, for many, is a time of resolve. We create highly ambitious, jam-packed action lists of goals. In the end, we lose our focus or beat ourselves up as our super-human promises fall by the wayside.

The way I think about this practice has shifted over time. I have come to understand that HOW WE ARE in this world (our mindset – our character) is every bit as important as WHAT WE DO. And so, in recent years I’ve chosen to set one strong intention for being and not to create an exhaustive laundry list of resolutions for doing. Sure, I still make plans and set goals, but HOW I approach the demands of each day gets top billing. (more…)

REFLECTION: As a way of celebrating the season of light and winding up each year on a thoughtful note, I’ve ended several years of Pause messages with reflections on one key word.  Peace, joy, love, hope and grace have all taken their turns in the spotlight.

This year, the word kindness springs to mind. Throughout 2010, I have experienced many kindnesses – large and small. I hope that has been the case in your world, too.

May these thoughts on kindness light a candle of compassion in us all – bringing a warmth and generosity of spirit that burns brightly through the end of the year and long into 2011. (more…)

REFLECTION: In case you’ve missed the memo – or the endless media messages bombarding us daily – December is the one month of the year where giving is clearly top of mind. It’s no surprise, then, that I was intrigued by this first item on a list of tips for reducing workplace stress.

Tip number one advises giving the gift of trust. What an interesting idea!

The point is that a lack of control over one’s own work is a serious workplace stressor. Leaders who micro-manage tasks or decree exactly how everything must be tackled build neither trust nor capacity. In fact, there’s nothing more irritating than having someone lurking over your shoulder second guessing everything you’re doing, interceding to make sure it’s done the ‘right’ way (read ‘their’ way).

When we give others the freedom to make decisions about how to approach the tasks in front of them we honor their capabilities and avoid unnecessary pressures. Trusting is not only a stress reliever, but a relationship and capacity builder.

Developing trust is a bit of a catch 22 situation. (more…)

What a great honor for me to be inducted into the Canadian Speaking Hall of Fame. The announcement was made December 7, 2010, at the annual CAPS (Canadian Association of Professional Speakers) Convention held in Montreal.

The Hall of Fame is a peer award for individuals who are recognized for their excellence on the platform, their longevity and success in the business, and their contributions to the speaking industry. That’s Warren Evans CSP, long time speaker colleague and friend (and HoF member himself) presenting me with the award. There are now 24 members from across the country who have been inducted into the Canadian Speaking Hall of Fame.

I am the fourth female speaker, and the second speaker working from Saskatchewan to be honored as a member of the Hall. Needless to say, I am delighted by the recognition. Even more than that, I so appreciate the support I have received over more than two decades in business from this great community of generous and talented colleagues.

Congratulations to Linda Edgecombe, CSP, a friend and colleague from British Columbia, who was also inducted on the same evening.

Thanks to Dov Friedman, CAPS Convention photographer, for so graciously gifting me with these images from the awards ceremony. This link will take you to Dov’s website, where you can learn more about his wonderful photography.

REFLECTION: My three year old grandson has learned to count. Everything around him is fodder for practice: fingers, books, days on the calendar. As he gets more proficient at counting, concepts like yours/mine and more/less are also popping to the fore. Who has more smarties? Who scored more points? The comparisons fuel both victory dances and mini meltdowns.

As we mature, we continue to count. Only the objects of our affection or attention change. How many widgets sold? Clients served? Dollars banked? Gadgets owned? Miles traveled? This raises the question of what REALLY counts in life.

My niece waxed eloquent on this very concept in a recent blog posting. Jillian is a young entrepreneurial craftswoman currently living in Pocatello, Idaho. As a one woman shop, she’s making a name for herself in the world of web community and online commerce through her unique jewelry designs, novel photography and engaging writing. She notes the pressure to ‘make the numbers’. With Jill’s permission, I’m sharing her recent commentary on success.

“Which of these do you value more – quantity or quality? Success, for me, in this crafty world of mine, is when I enter into my creative space and perfectly translate a vision into metal and stone. Success for many others is in the numbers.  Numbers of Twitter followers.  Numbers of Facebook friends.  Numbers of sales.  Numbers! Numbers! Numbers!

Does any of that matter if you feel unfulfilled in your work?  Does any of that matter if you aren’t true to who you are? (more…)

NOTE:  Final week to take advantage of the Big Box Bonus Bundle offer. Check the end of message for details.

REFLECTION: This year, September and October were pretty active months in my life. It didn’t really hit me how active they had been until November rolled around and my schedule loosened up a bit. Quite the contrast!

S & O were filled – bumper to bumper – with lots of great things. No complaints there! Challenging work with interesting clients. An engaging conference on workplace wellness. A heartfelt farewell to a dear friend. A family wedding celebration. An exciting vacation get away. Mentoring and charity work. I wouldn’t have traded away any of those activities.

In retrospect, what I might have done differently is paid more attention to TAT – the Turn Around Time – between events. It was a bit too ‘next…next…next’ – too often at the expense of the here and now.

There’s a lot of performance pressure to reduce Turn Around Time in the world of work – faster responses to messages, speedier delivery of products, more instant access to services. But there can be a personal cost to upping the ante.

When TAT shrinks, pressure grows.There is no longer time to savor what you’ve just experienced nor to fully anticipate what comes next. Minor glitches easily assume major proportions. The rhythm shifts to rush and roar – as we spend our days rushing in and roaring out. (more…)