Living Life by the Importance of Today

Every day is part of another day that could be our last. We hope it isn't and we hope that our lives go on for a long time but we never truly know when that time and date will come. We do know that it will eventually catch us and therefore we must make a choice to live the rest of our lives with a positive or with a negative outlook. Living each day as your last can lead to greater enjoyment and fulfillment that makes its way into your career.

There are three types of people in this world. There are those who are chronically negative,those who are in the large middle and a few who find a positive way of looking at the world. People with negative outlook are miserable while those in the middle have a mix of good and bad days depending on their moods. Those who have a positive outlook see their lives more vivid and beneficial than others..

We sometimes think that our life has something to do with the amount of money we make or the job we have. True enjoyment in life is based in how we perceive our lives and whether or not we are taking a positive inspiring approach to life or one in which the world is always moving to something worse. Our outlook will impact how we see the world around us and how we plan on living it.

I have met people who look back over their lives and almost never say I wish I made more money or that I pleased my bosses more. They do look back and wonder if they were genuine and truly enjoyed their lives. They wonder about their children and the people they once knew. They search for meaning in their lives and try and be fulfilled.

Sometimes they find it and sometimes they don't. Your chances of finding meaning become much more likely if you live each day as though it were your last. Do your work but also enjoy as much time as possible on those things that interest you. Make sure that you are expressing your true self to both yourself and the world around you.

It sounds hokey pokey but it is part of what makes contentment. We should balance our needs and make sure we are not neglecting any part of ourselves. Find good people to share your time, enjoy your families, get involved in those hobbies that interest you, and express yourself as much as possible. You might be surprised that you actually like work and being more creative and productive.

The Danger of Metrics

Metrics are an important part of doing business in today's world. They help ensure departments and people are doing the jobs they said they are doing and become useful statistics for understanding the entire organization. Sometimes metrics don't really measure what is going on and administrators should be concerned over the information being presented.

Let me give you an example. Let us assume an instructor must actively engage in online classroom forums. If you don't engage in 3 days you will get a message from an administrator saying you are not fulfilling your contract. However, if you check your course every day but students have posted over the first few days of the week because the class has low enrollment, its a holiday, and students are working on finals.

The metric isn't reflective of what is actually going on. The instructor might be checking in every day, which exceeds the requirements, could be reviewing course materials, etc... To fix this problem and not receive a notice would mean the instructor would just have to stick some artificial posting in there to a student that hasn't yet responded.

There are other times when metrics are poorly designed and are actually encouraging poor behavior. The metrics are designed to ensure certain activities are done that are profit driven but forget all the other things that make those activities possible. Employees might skip corners so they get high metric numbers and earn higher pay. Bubbles of work occur that could be a detriment to the organization as non measured activities are ignored.

Metrics should be well thought out, take into consideration the possibility that they are not always accurate or beneficial, and will need continuous adjustment. These metrics are like research variables that need validity and actually measure what they say they are measuring. Employees will be paid and rewarded based on these metrics and they should not be the only evaluative tool. Your company will be defined by these metrics.

When to be Subtle and When to be Direct

There are times when the best approach is to be subtle and discuss issues without actually discussing them while at other times it is most important to be direct and up front. The difference can be hard for people to distinguish but can be easier to decipher when a few rules are applied to the overall assessment of a situation. Knowing the difference can get your point across without risking open conflict.

People have needs and wants and will naturally push those onto others. Sometimes it is acceptable while at other times it is necessary to communicate where your boundaries lay. The message can be subtle or it can be direct. In most cases subtle should be preferred than direct as a method of slowly encouraging others to understand your needs.

Sometimes people don't know they are asking too much or wanting something that is inappropriate. Letting them know in a subtle way allows them to think about the request and whether or not it is truly appropriate. It also allows you a nice way of communicating without jeopardizing friendship or an open argument.

Subtle is not passive aggressive because you are willing to deal with the issue directly but prefer to have the person come to their own awareness. If a person doesn't understand multiple subtle hints then it is necessary to deal with the issue directly by stating the behavior and what you would like to see. You will still need to use tact but it will force the issue into the open.

Remember, it isn't always beneficial to do this. Most people will pick up on the hints and then change their course of action. When they don't they are stating that either they truly believe they are entitled to their behavior or don't respect your boundaries. Forcing the issue into discussion puts them on the spot to come forward with their wants and allowing you to draw a line.

Michigan Residents Seem to be Confident about the Economy

According to a study conducted by Michigan State University 56.9 respondents felt the economy is good or excellent. Another 30% called it fair and 12.9 % called their circumstances poor.

Another positive result from the survey found 43.8% believed they were better off, 30.4% around the same, and 25.9% in worse condition. 

The numbers indicated that most people in Michigan feel they are doing pretty darn well. Their lives have improved in some ways and they are optimistic about their futures. 

Of course that doesn't mean everyone is doing well but that the majority of people are satisfied with how things are turning out. Detroit's resurgence as a leading city and the positive press that goes with that may make a difference.

Learning Teamwork Through Sailing

Sailing is an excellent skill that keeps you focused and in the moment. It is also a great sport to teach teamwork skills. Crews are often 3 to 4 people and include 2 for the job, one for the main and the skipper. Each has their own job and the ship sails at its best when all members are working together. With practice the team will get into a groove and understand how their part impacts the rest.

When tacking the ship will swing into the wind in an attempt to change its course of direction. It moves across an area called the dead zone where the sails can pick up no wind. It it stays too long in that area the ship will eventually come to a stop. It is imperative to get the ship across the dead zone and optimized on the other side as quickly as possible.

The skipper will often yell, "ready to jive" and the crew will respond "ready" and then the skipper gives the command "jive ho". Within seconds one member is releasing the jib line, on the other side the other brings in their jib line, the person on main sail seeks to optimize wind coverage by adjusting direction. As a team works together it gets faster and the ship becomes more optimized.

Consider that over the past few races I have been with different crews and we seem to come in last. However, when working with the same crew a few times the ship speeds up and we come in at a higher ranking. At one point we ran neck and neck for first place based on the practice and skill of the members.

As an exercise it can be helpful to put executives through a course on sailing in a way that forces them to work together. They will eventually come to understand that without all people talking and working together the ship won't be at its best. The same can be said for organizations when executives work in silos, don't communicate, and the entire organization suffers.

Managing Workplace Conflict

Workplace conflict is bound to happen any time there is a difference in resources and personality. People are seeking greater levels of authority and access to resources but must come to the inevitable truth that there isn't enough to go around. Personalities can create a toxic work environment cause conflict to brew. Conflict can brew in the workplace anytime and it is important to know how to handle it.

Conflict often revolves around resource allocation. When resources are provided to one person over another, or people are arguing over who should receive those resources, there is bound to be angst. People will seek to create the greatest advantages for themselves and then push for their own thoughts and ideas.

Personalities also have a huge influence on conflict. People regularly try and dominate each other and throw their personal problems onto others within the workplace. Those who have high emotional intelligence might find themselves getting into less entanglements than others.

Managing conflict is helpful when we understand how resources work and how personalities impact others. Using appropriate methodology and strategy to allocate resources is important for transparency. When possible, decisions should be business related and justifiable so that all parties can trust these decisions.

Personality conflicts can be a little more difficult to work with. This will require people to share their cognitive models and come to a mutual agreement. When this is not possible on its own, a person with higher authority can state appropriate behaviors and then hold people accountable. In worse case scenarios a contract of interaction can be signed by involved parties.

Traits of Adaptable Leaders

Leaders ability to adapt to new businesses and situations is an important trait that helps bridge the gaps from one situation to the next. Adaptable leaders can change their thinking and styles that best fit the type of crisis they are facing. As circumstances unfold the style of the leader should also unfold to secure the best possible outcomes.

Changing Thinking: Thinking must adjust to solve problems. Leaders should be able to change how they formulate their opinions and the vantage points they use to understand their problem. Creativity will help them be flexible.

Changing Styles: Different situations require different ways of solving problems. People respond to styles depending on their personality and the circumstances in which they exist. For example, a crisis situation will require more command styles while innovation will require more collaborative styles.

Changing of Environments: As the environment changes the leader will also need to change. He/she will need to adjust their way of being and continue to learn to adapt to new circumstances. As the leaders continues to adapt they get stronger and more effective.