The world feels more complex now, where the Big Issues of the Day create “interesting” times in our lives. Even planning for vacation often requires adaptability. We must be ready to toss those plans when the circumstances change. Some people tell me we need to “return” to simpler times. Or that we can use direct,
How Can We Embrace Complexity—and Stop Trying to Avoid It? Read More »
A colleague is supposedly writing a book. He’s amassed research, taken and written notes, and told (too many) people he’s writing. But he’s not writing. No book excerpts, no blog posts, nor articles. His “writing” is invisible to other people. Another colleague thinks he wants to run a marathon. He researched the “right” way to run
How Much Confidence Do You Need to Start? Read More »
Many of us search for our ability to “know” specific data. We want to know when the pandemic will end? When will the team finish their work? Or even when we will arrive at our destination? However, the farther out and the more specific we want that knowledge to be, the more it costs us
What If Ambiguity Was a Good Thing? Read More »
A client, Dave, explained his concerns and said, “I have no idea where to go from here.” He explained that he’d already gone through his reasonable problem-solving steps. He’d researched, asked the team to experiment, and asked his peers for help. Nothing was working. I asked, “Do you know about going “meta” on the problem?”
How Can You Go Meta to Solve a Problem When You’re Stuck? Read More »
Despite all the uncertainty we see these days, some people still value predictions and certainty over adaptability and resilience. Then, when their predictions and certainty don’t work, these folks suddenly value adaptability. When we show others the value of our flexibility, we don’t surprise ourselves with fake certainty. We can, especially if we show others
Three Ways to Show Others the Value of Your Adaptability and Resilience Read More »
How Much Balance Do We Need to Excel and Succeed? I’m a sucker for the Olympics. You name the sport—yes, even ones I don’t know or understand—and I can spend hours transfixed. Not because of the sport itself, although I often wonder how people chose that specific sport. But because these athletes use physical, mental,
How Much Balance Do We Need to Excel and Succeed? Read More »
How Do You Manage Your Energy? Do you ever slog through the days, feeling as if you can’t get going? That happened to me last month. I wasn’t sick or depressed—I didn’t have my normal get-up-and-go. That’s when I realized I was “out of spoons.” The spoons represent our energy—and, at least for me—our resilience.
How Do You Manage Your Energy? Read More »
I’m working on my next year’s “plans.” I use quotes around that word because I use lean approaches to plan my work. I decide which work to do now, and I finish that work. Then, I pick from many options for the next bit of work. Based on my throughput, I have enough possibilities for
Three Questions to Become More Adaptable and Resilient in the Future Read More »
I wish I could tell you I was perfect at doing all the work on my list. Nope. Every so often, I procrastinate and delay on some specific task. In the past, I worried because I didn’t finish that work. (The more I worried, the less I did.) I created a reinforcing feedback loop that
What Games Do You Create to Succeed in Life and Work? Read More »
CAL Newsletter: Why Is “You Got This” So Evil? My physical challenges are apparent to anyone with vision. I use a rollator (wheeled walker) when I leave the house. Heck, I use a rollator inside the house. And every so often, people want to offer me moral support. They say, “You got this!” as if
Why Is “You Got This” So Evil? Read More »