I am a proponent of being prepared, of knowing the terrain, of having a plan. However, all the planning in the world will not help if you don’t execute the plan.
What’s stopping you from taking action in 2017?
Social Media 101: Call to action(s)
When you share something on social media, are you including a call to action?
What do I mean by this? Shoot me an email at rob@10thHuman.com and I’ll let you know! (See what I did there?)
Idea: Augmented reality and driving
I foresee a future where the windshields of our cars or the glasses we are wearing will project data from road markers to collision warnings into our field of vision. The same technology will be able to monitor the eyeballs of drivers and automatically slow down, pull over and stop a car where the driver has fallen asleep.
Warp Speed, Mr. Sulu! Or, how I am trying to be more intentional in life and business
As a society, in almost every imaginable way, we are moving at Warp Speed.
In our personal lives, in our relationships, in our businesses, we are – to quote the great Seth Godin – ‘times 10‘ all the time.
When was the last time you hit pause and throttled back for a moment to evaluate what you are doing and how?
I think about this a lot. I’ve blogged about the needs of business to have a framework like OODA, where they are engaged in a systematic evaluation of there business space. I’ve also talked about the need to constantly evaluate strategy.
Remember, what got you there will not keep you there. (me)
The ability to learn faster is the only sustainable competitive advantage.(Senge)
How are you implementing this in your life/business?
The Blog is Dead, Long Live the Blog (or: what blogs do you read?)
Facebook is an incredible tool for connecting to our fellow humans. As a platform, it provides an awesome way to connect to fellow groups and communities. The last time I checked, something on the order of 52% of web sharing is occurring within Facebook.
That’s a staggering statistic.
It’s masking several problems, though, two of which I’d like to elaborate on.
First, the 52% statistic means there is 48% of web traffic Facebook users who rely on this medium alone are not seeing. Personally, I believe this risks building an echo chamber of sorts. Breaking out of the Facebook bubble we’ve built may expose us to alternative sources of information. And I don’t believe that is a bad thing.
Second, Facebook does not, in my humble opinion, lend itself to in depth conversations. This is not to suggest blogs do so, necessarily. However, a blog is a more static platform. I personally find it easier to track conversations in vs. the non linear nature of the way our Facebook feeds us informations.
What are your thoughts?
Please also feel free to share any blogs you frequently read. Personally, I am a Seth Godin fan, as well as find Scott Adams a good read (side note: his content often challenges conventional wisdom).
Leadership
Happy Monday, folks! I’ll take just a moment to apologize for my silence of the last month. I’m still very much committed to the idea of daily posts as a career decision and my battle rhythm. Life often has a…penchant…for getting in the way of our operational models for the same. Tangentially related: this is a good reason for having an operational model or framework. These aren’t meant to be necessarily hard and fast but are plans. You CAN deviate from your plan. Your framework should be your baseline, to which you can return to time and time again.
Anyhow, today leadership is very much on my mind.
It’s a topic I’ve written about several times here. Definitions abound but my working definition of leadership is this:
Leadership is the thoughtful and methodical application of a continually studied framework that becomes a mindset.
Leadership is study.
Leadership is explorative.
Leadership is evolving.
Leadership is learning.
Leadership is language.
Leadership is is perspective.
Leadership is an awesome responsibility and ought not to be undertaken lightly. The best leaders I know are committed learners who have a ripple effect on those around them.
People want to follow good leaders.
10thHuman: On the other side of every interaction is a human being…
I’ve blogged previously about the need for authentic, civil communication.
Tonight, I’d expand upon this, maybe step back a bit and ask us all to pause and consider that on the other side of every interaction is a human being.
From a professional perspective, this will absolutely help your business. Consider, please, the last place you visited where the representative of the business didn’t make eye contact, didn’t engage with you, didn’t acknowledge you…is this a place likely to earn your business again?
On the other side of the equation, when you last visited Starbucks or the Apple Store (both known for their customer service), how were you made to feel? Likely, you were made to feel like you belonged, like you were a member of their team or tribe.
From a personal perspective, I think this is a valuable lesson to remember as we interact with our fellow people. We are all part of this tribe called humanity and I believe, if we could just try to see the world through one another’s eyes, we could accomplish wonders.
10thHuman: Why you should continually evaluate your framework
I’ve previously blogged about the need of businesses to evaluate their strategies as a function of thermodynamics:
The short answer is that a business that does not engage in the continual evaluation of their operations becomes isolated from their competition. Their entropy increases.
I’ve also discussed this as a function of the evolution of a business in a competitive marketplace.
What got you there will not keep you there.
Today, I’d expand that line of thought by citing Anthony Giddens, a sociologist, and a particular thought on structures:
Structures do not determine outcomes, but define the potential range of outcomes. (Giddens)
In the context of the running discussion here about strategies and frameworks, I think it reasonable to posit that a framework and strategy do not determine an outcome but helps define the potential range of outcomes. Specifically, it helps you consider input, evaluate your options and execute your decision in accordance with defined parameters (such as goals and values).
10thHuman: Language as a framework for knowledge
I recently blogged about the importance of language in leadership, relaying that “leadership and language are essential partners in business (Van Etta, 2016).”
In the same post, I wrote that language reflects our thoughts, our essence. Leadership is the thoughtful and methodical application of a continually studied framework that becomes a mindset.
Building on the same thoughts on the importance of language and viewing language as a framework, I would share this thought:
The entirety of human knowledge is contained with the framework of ‘language’. Without an agreed upon framework, this knowledge would cease to be decipherable. It would cease to exist. – Me
Fundamentally, language is a construct we use to house and share knowledge and ideas. Language is important. It’s use is important in the spread of ideas, in the motivation of people and the implementation of ideas.
I’d share one more thought with you today.
Words are not just words. They are thoughts given life, an act, which inspire others to further action.
10thHuman: Perspective. Have you seen the world through my eyes?
Have you seen the world through my eyes?
The question was asked in response to my having offered assistance to a complete stranger. When I relayed what I’d done to a friend, they offered that they would have wanted to do the same but would have hesitated in doing so for a fear of physical safety.
This is a question I think about every day and could be – should probably be – the subject of a much larger post than this is likely to be.
Have you seen the world through my eyes?
This question stopped me in my tracks when it was asked and still resonates with me today, in a profound way. It’s a question I have asked thousands of young leaders, when I taught a course on leadership, ethics and perspective at the United States Air Force Academy.
The short answer is, of course, “No.”
The longer answer is, “What a powerful question to ask. While I cannot do so, I can and surely ought to try.”
From a personal and business perspective, sincerely asking this question launched a journey of introspection of which this blog is the current manifestation.
From a business perspective alone, what an incredible cornerstone of a framework to consider our actions through.
Have we seen the world through the eyes of a consumer or a client?
Have we seen the world through the eyes of our partners or vendors
Have we seen the world through the eyes of our employees?
Phrased and applied another way:
Have we tried to see ourselves as others see us?
I don’t offer definitive answers here, just food for thought.