Happy Holidays!

 

May you and your family have a truly blessed Christmas and a very Happy New Year! 

The MMM will take off next week for the holidays and return on Monday, January 8^th of 2024. 

Undivided attention

 

As humans one of the greatest gifts we can give is our undivided attention. While that sounds simple, consider what it really means. With deadlines, meetings, email, texts, social media, and cell phones, how often do you really give someone your undivided attention? It is incredibly easy for our thoughts to drift to something we consider more urgent. There really should be nothing more urgent than what we are being told by our friends, peers and subordinates. 

 

Giving someone our attention allows them to speak and truly be heard. It allows them to feel positive about our relationship with them. It allows you to focus on what you are being told and learn something from their perspective. It is a foundational piece of the relationship between leader and follower. Loyal associates deserve your undivided attention. It is so vital in personal relationships. This principle is even more true at home with spouses and children! 

 

Try it out, you might learn something you and you will be appreciated!

Laugh, Think, Cry

 

“To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. Number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about it. If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that’s a full day. That’s a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you’re going to have something special.”

-       Jim Valvano, ESPNs speech 1993

 

I am always reminded of this speech this time of year on ESPN. Jim Valvano was dying of cancer when he gave it. Sadly, he passed away less than two months later. If you have never heard this speech, you need to. (Easy to find on YouTube) His words of wisdom make up one of the most moving speeches of all time. It is powerful, motivating, passionate and emotional.  What if we all really experienced all three things daily?  He was right, we would have something special. 

 

Laugh, Think and Cry today…

Celebrate

 

We should celebrate things in life. Certainly birthdays, holidays, and significant accomplishments are worthy of celebration. But what about celebrations in the workplace? As leaders, we should celebrate our team, our successes, and our milestones. There is something fun about celebrating. It brings people together, sometimes people who don’t always work together or interact. Celebrations in the workplace create moments of pride. They commemorate shared successes. Events of celebration are also more casual than our normal work environment. This creates opportunities for camaraderie and relationship building. Celebrations are about people! Consider this…What gets celebrated gets repeated.

Who will you celebrate this week?

Movement

 

Our goal as leaders, public speakers and thought leaders should be almost singularly focused on movement. It matters not what we say, the message we deliver, or the thoughts we convey, if they do not lead to movement. When I say movement, I mean action. I mean forward movement. I mean progress. That's what we want to instill in teams and organizations. Forward motion should be our constant goal.

Sure, we can speak on platitudes and concepts, but if they don't lead to action (movement) what good have we done?  Think about your next staff meeting. What about your next company address? How about your next one-on-one with your team leader? Are you conveying a message that creates movement? I feel like it's one of the greatest leadership questions we can face. Are we encouraging movement? Does our leadership result in action?

Who will you help move forward this week?

Nineteen Years of the MMM!

 

The Monday Morning Minute was born on November 21, 2004. This Tuesday will mark the nineteenth year of sharing leadership thoughts and challenges with you all on a weekly basis. I hope somewhere along the way you have found something motivating, encouraging or challenging, maybe all three.

 

Wishing you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving and a great start to the holiday season.  Be blessed my friends…  

Your Five

 

There is a concept out there that states, “We tend to become like the five people we spend most of our time around”. Makes you think about who you are hanging out with. Consider that for a minute regarding your work world.

 

It’s easy to think of this concept in regards to our good friends that we hang out with after hours and on weekends, or even more so our family and others whom we consider close. But, we spend eight hours a day in our work environment. Annually, that is 2080 hours. That is more time than we spend with most other people in our lives. How are those that you work with influencing you? What good or bad habits might you adopt from the people that you spend eight hours a day with? 

 

We should work someplace where the people we work with make us better. Think about that for a minute. Are the people you work with daily making you a better person? Are you learning and growing because of the people that you hang out with between 8:00 and 5:00 every single workday? The concept of who our five closest friends are is a powerful one, but it needs to be viewed within the context of our work environment. You may not be great friends with the people that you work with every single day, but you do spend at least eight hours a day with them. That’s a lot of time. Their habits, their behaviors, their responses, cannot be ignored.

 

Do you work with people who make you better?

Start Somewhere

 

Sometimes you just need to get started.  However, don’t you want to wait until you have enough time, or you are in the right mood, or you have every possible required tool at hand?  I do!  Why do we put off getting started?  We have tons of reasons, better yet excuses that delay our start.   Often, it seems daunting to start a big project.  It can be paralyzing to face something that we know will require concentration and focus.  We search for tasks that we know require less time or we get distracted with less important action items.  Start somewhere.  Break the project down into consumable bites.  Set attainable goals that build towards completion of the larger project.

Just start…

Conversations in Your Own Head

 

Do you talk to yourself?  Maybe not literally out loud, but do you have conversations with yourself in your own head?  I know I do, and I have to believe that most people do.  Is there a voice in your head that you cannot help but listen to? How do those conversations go?  Are they positive, encouraging and uplifting? Or are they negative, downgrading and discouraging.  All too often for me they can be the latter. 

 

Why are we so hard on ourselves? Maybe not everyone is. Those that have mastered the ability to be positive and self-assuring in their own minds are likely to be more successful and maybe happier all around; It is not an easy task.  We should understand that we need to be our own best friend, our own greatest supporter and biggest fan.  Why not? 

 

I am not suggesting arrogance here. I am suggesting that we need to be positive about ourselves in our own minds. We need to talk ourselves up, be encouraging.  Nothing but good can come from that. There are plenty of negative influences out there today. We do not need another one in our own head!  Listen to your positive self in your own mind! 

Some days are diamonds. Some days are stones.

 

Some days are in fact diamonds. Those are the days when all seems to be right with the world. Others are more like rough uncut stones when nothing seems to go smoothly. Most days actually fall somewhere in between. There are rough spots during the day offset by bright spots at other times.  Some days we even have opportunities to turn stones into diamonds. For the most part we learn to take the good with the bad and roll with the flow, knowing that there are always more diamonds to come. Maybe not tomorrow or next week, but there are more days of diamonds. By faith, strength, discipline and wisdom we endure the stones and rejoice in the diamonds. 

Remember too, the stones will never totally go away…

Wisdom

 

The MMM has often addressed wisdom and our ongoing pursuit of it. Wisdom is a permanent fixture on my prayer list.  I have also written about how impatient we are as humans.  Impatience and wisdom don’t go well together.  Consider the following which addresses both points…

 

Wisdom is not proven by argument or debate.  Wisdom is proven over time.  Some people adamantly proclaim that their opinion is best.  Regardless of how convincingly these people defend their viewpoint, time is the best judge of their wisdom.  The result of a practice proves its validity, not how loudly it is promoted. ¹

 

Be wary of those who seek to have their own wisdom acknowledged before it can be proven over time.  Remember to be patient with your own understanding of wisdom. 

 

Have a blessed week.

 

1 – Taken from: Experiencing God Day-By-Day, Henry T. Blackaby and Richard Blackaby

Some days are diamonds. Some days are stones.

 

Some days are in fact diamonds. Those are the days when all seems to be right with the world. Others are more like rough uncut stones when nothing seems to go smoothly. Most days actually fall somewhere in between. There are rough spots during the day offset by bright spots at other times.  Some days we even have opportunities to turn stones into diamonds. For the most part we learn to take the good with the bad and roll with the flow, knowing that there are always more diamonds to come. Maybe not tomorrow or next week, but there are more days of diamonds. By faith, strength, discipline and wisdom we endure the stones and rejoice in the diamonds. 

Remember too, the stones will never totally go away…

Positive Feedback

 

Are you complimentary when you receive good service?  Do you provide a lift to someone by acknowledging their smile or positive outlook?  You might be surprised at the difference you can make in someone’s day by simply being complimentary. 

 

Here are just a few…

·         When a hotel clerk greets you with a smile and helpful attitude make sure they know you noticed. 

·         When the dry cleaner’s employee is prompt and professional, genuinely thank them. 

·         When your dining waitstaff is especially efficient give them a compliment and maybe even a larger tip. 

People that serve others for a living are often mistreated. Can you do your part to change that?  If they are doing a really exceptional job, go out of your way to let their boss know.  Positive feedback is a great motivator and can change someone’s day, maybe even their future!

 

Pay someone a genuine compliment today and have a blessed week!

One Particular Harbor

 

I have been listening to a lot of Jimmy Buffett music the last two weeks.  I hope you have too!  The first time I saw him perform live was 1979 in Austin and it cost me $7.50; I have the ticket stub.  His whimsical tunes and laid-back lifestyle were something that I fell in love with.  Eventually I saw Jimmy in person at least 29 times.  Yes, I became somewhat of a Parrot head.  Even though I have been an avid concert goer for years, not one single performer comes close to that total.  My kids were raised on his music, and it has been played at parties and celebrations in my home for years. 

 

Here are just a few of my favorite lyrics and song titles…

·        The weather is here I wish you were beautiful.

·        I wish lunch could last forever.

·        If the phone doesn’t ring it’s me.

·        Quietly making noise.

·        A permanent reminder of a temporary feeling.

·        I heard I was in town.

·        We are the people our parents warned us about.

·        I made enough money to buy Miami, but I pissed it away so fast.

·        There’s a thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning.

·        I’d rather die while I’m living, than live while I am dead.

 

“It’s important to have as much fun as possible while we’re here.  It balances out the times when the minefields of life explode.”

-          Jimmy Buffet 06-21-22 via Twitter (X)

 

This social media post expands on the final bullet point above.  It is worth noting that he was in a minefield explosion when he posted this, as he had already been diagnosed with the cancer that would ultimately take his life.

 

But then there is One Particular Harbor…  This song originally resonated with me due to its sing along nature and intriguing Tahitian lyrics. It was inspired by the view from above Cook’s Bay in Tahiti, but to me the song became analogous to that safe place we all need.  That one particular harbor where we feel safe and protected and can relax.  For some of us that can be a mental place based on our faith or our meditative practices.  For others it is an actual physical place.  It could be your patio in the mornings with coffee.  Perhaps it is a hammock or a bench in a special place. Maybe it is your mountain home or beach house.  It could even be a conversation with that one friend that totally “gets you”.  Or maybe it is a simple evening with close friends.  We all have those comfortable places we like to retreat to, where we are…

 

Sheltered from the wind
Where the children play on the shore each day
And all are safe within

 

Where is your One Particular Harbor?  Have you been there lately?

 

If you thought heaven was awesome before, imagine what it is like now with Jimmy Buffett there!

 

RIP Jimmy Buffett 1946-2023

9/11

 

Twenty-two years ago, our country was changed forever.  Those old enough will remember exactly where they were that morning.  The attack, now known simply by the date of its’ occurrence, was nothing like this country had ever seen before, and hopefully never will again.  The images were, and still are, horrifying and unforgettable.  We were unified as a country, and we rallied together in the subsequent days, weeks, and months.  Unfortunately, that unity has faded away, but that is a story for a different day. 

 

I have had the opportunity to visit the 9/11 Memorial & Museum in New York City.  It is a fascinating collection of stories and memorabilia located at the base of the Twin Towers.  I found it to be incredibly well done, powerful, but somber and reverent.  My granddaughter, who was not even born at the time of the attacks, was riveted.  She came home with an understanding, and true feeling for that tragedy that she would never get from a textbook.  I encourage you to visit there if you have the chance.

 

Don’t ever forget!

Happy Labor Day!

 

It’s not just about BBQ and the start of football season…

Labor Day: What it Means

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

Perspective

 

This is not the first MMM with this title! Have you ever thought about the relationship between gratitude and perspective? Often when I am grumpy or down, the best medicine for me is perspective. Are the issues going on in my life, at that moment, really all that bad? I need to stop, look around, and remind myself of all I have to be grateful for. There is suffering, children that need a safe place, veterans that need medical/emotional care, and people without food or shelter. Most of those things I don’t have to worry about! Gratitude…

Often, we get so caught up in our own drama that we forget how good life is, or can be. Perhaps the next time you feel frustrated, annoyed, or even self-loathing consider one or two things you are grateful for in your life. It is amazing how that puts things into perspective for you.

Leadership is a Burden

 

Leadership is not easy, and not always fun. Good leadership can feel like a constant weight on your shoulders. The successes can be exhilarating, and the accomplishments awesome, but it is hard work.

Leadership requires intentionality, and if you are good at, it is a burden!

“If leading and serving people isn’t both your greatest gift, and your greatest burden, you probably aren’t doing it right.”

-          Craig Groeschel

Relationships (Part Two)

 

“A relationship is like a house. When a light bulb burns out, you don’t go and buy a new house, you fix the light bulb.”

-          Anonymous

I came across this quote after writing last weeks’ MMM on relationships. It struck me as the perfect follow-up. We don’t throw relationships away; we invest in them. We work on them. (Unless they are toxic.) Just another reminder of the power and importance of relationships.

How are the light bulbs in your relationship houses?

Relationships

 

Life moves at the speed of relationships. I am not sure where I first heard that statement, but it resonated with me immediately. Think about the relationships in our lives…

• God
• Spouse and significant others
• Children
• Parents and siblings
• Close friends and confidants
• Church groups
• Mentors and mentees
• Business partners
• Employees and co-workers
• Clients and vendors

 

Relationships are valuable and important to us. I do not believe we are meant to do life alone. The people we surround ourselves with are critical to how we navigate life. Failed and broken relationships can be devastating. Strong and healthy relationships can be lifesaving. As vital as relationships are, they are seldom easy. They can be challenging and messy. They require work and attention. Relationships need to be valued, nurtured and protected.

Life moves at the speed of relationships. Are you investing enough in yours?

Twenty Minute Magic

 

I think it is interesting what the use of Outlook calendars and others has done to our scheduling habits. Everything we schedule falls into 30 minute or one-hour increments. I mean Outlook defaults to that, and we just tend to fill in the blocks. We all know that calls and meetings do not always need to take up to 30 minutes or an hour (Note to my assistant), but our calendars are full of nicely blocked meetings. Not surprisingly, mine are color-coded.

Do you know why the maximum time limit for a Ted Talk is 17 minutes? There has been a lot of study regarding attention spans and the length of time we can focus. Several articles and podcasts have recently addressed the power of a twenty-minute meeting, including an “At The Table” podcast. There is power in knowing that you only have 20 minutes to accomplish something; You have to act fast. There is also the popular concept of a huddle or a stand-up meeting. The idea is to conduct a quick exchange of information, update and move on with the day.

There are nice, neat, blocks in Outlook. That does not mean that we need to use the full 30 minutes or hour. Have the courage to schedule meetings, or end meetings, sooner. No need for a meeting to take a full hour only because it was scheduled to do so.

Explore twenty minute magic…

Growing Up

 

I have always heard that it really is possible to grow up, I just never have met anyone who has really done it.

 

What does it really mean to grow up anyway?  Does it mean to...

Stop acting like a kid?

Be responsible?

Stop having fun?

Take on Debt? Be out of debt?

Act mature? (What is mature?)

Get a job? Keep a job?

 

Growing up is subjective, and it means different things to different people.  I tend to believe that growing up is the sequence of life's events that makes us who we are.  The nature of those events may cause some of us to feel grown up sooner than others.  Those events may cause some people to never really grow up.  For that matter, maybe none of us ever actually grow up.  That may not be all bad.  After all, life is a journey and not a destination.  If we were to all be grown up, what would we have to look forward to?

A Lecture…

 

“Don’t offer a lecture to a person that needs a hug!”

-        Anonymous

We humans can be a bit judgy. Many of us are set in our ways and view the world from only our perspective. We think we have all the answers. The problem is when we feel the need to press our answers onto others. These lectures might be about how others should live their life, who they should date, how to parent, or what they need to tell their boss. Sure, there is a place for these discussions with our friends. Note the use of the word discussion, not lecture. But, oftentimes people just need a sympathetic ear. They need to be listened to, not lectured to. Think about the difference. Big opportunity here for both parents and employers.

Sometimes, friends, employees and kids may actually want to know our thoughts. Other times they may even need to hear our thoughts. But there are also times when we need to keep our mouth shut. Never pass up the opportunity to give someone a hug. It might be all they need.

Happy 4th of July (tomorrow)!

 

We are truly blessed in this country with incredible freedoms.  Unfortunately, we often take those freedoms or granted; We should not.  These freedoms are not found in many countries.  What we do with these freedoms make us who we are… 

• The freedom to live, love and laugh
• The freedom to work hard and succeed
• The freedom to challenge ourselves mentally and physically
• The freedom to fail, and to recover
• The freedom to approach each day with a smile
• The freedom to make choices, some wise, some not
• The freedom to educate ourselves
• The freedom to worship freely
• The freedom to make mistakes and learn from them
• The freedom to honor and support those who protect these freedoms

…and those who lost their lives doing so

• The freedom to positively impact the lives of others
• The freedom to tell those that we love that we do!

 What are you doing with your freedoms?

Excellence Not Perfection

 

Some people say they are always striving for perfection.  While that may be an admirable goal, I am not sure that perfection is actually attainable in anything.  There is a business book that is over 25 years old entitled, In Search of Excellence.  It is a great business book, and its' principles are still followed today.  Excellence is more achievable than perfection.  People and businesses can actually be excellent at certain things.  We should strive for excellence, but not perfection.  One of my favorite organizations, Leadership Montgomery County, emphasizes this in one of its’ core values, simply stated as, “Excellence – Not Perfection”. Consider this quote...

 

"I am careful not to confuse excellence with perfection.  Excellence I can reach for; perfection is God's business."

Michael J. Fox

Starve Your Distractions, Feed Your Focus

 

I am not good at this. I am so easily distracted. This is not easy to do in our social media, text message, internet world. How much more productive would we be if we could do this? Even if we could just do it during work hours. How much would our productivity go up?

 

It is a simple concept, not so easy to put into practice.

 

How are you at this?

Who am I?

 

I lost my dad way too early,

Who am I to doubt it was part of God’s plan?

 

His mother lived to age 98, why couldn’t he?

Who am I to question God’s timing?

 

He loved my mom and all of us so dearly,

Who am I to ask God why we don’t have him anymore?

 

He was married for 50 years, had nine grandchildren and a great grandchild,

Who am I to not thank God for the time we did have?

 

He had wood to carve, golf to play and trips to take,

Who am I to ask God why not?

 

He was kind, loved and respected,

Who am I to ask God why him?

 

For his disease there were no more options,

Who am I to ask God why no cure?

 

There were things I had not done or said,

Who am I to ask God for more time with him?

 

I never heard a bad word spoken towards him,

Who am I to ask God why not someone else?

 

He deserved so much more,

Who am I to question that God knows what he truly deserved?

 

I lost my dad far too soon,

Who am I to question God’s plan?

 

 

Barry D. Blanton

In loving memory of Don Blanton

January 6, 1935 – June 23, 2007

 

This MMM was originally written in 2007.  I will repeat it as long as I write MMM’s on a Monday near the anniversary of the passing of my father.

Perception is reality

 

Good Monday morning, or is it Tuesday?  Or maybe a Tuesday that seems like Monday? 

 

Often perception is reality and for that reason today may feel like Monday all day.  In reality it is not. It is the Monday of this work week for us, and I hope your Memorial Day holiday was fabulous.

 

Perceptions becoming reality can be hard to understand especially if you are a black and white factual personality. It is important to remember that how people perceive situations and perceive other people often forms the realities of how they think.  If you deal with people, and we all do, you will always be dealing with their individual perceptions. Oftentimes, it does not matter what you think or what the facts may be.  People have their own perspective, that does not make them wrong, just unique in their viewpoint.

 

Have a great day...(Monday or Tuesday or whatever day you perceive it to be)

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

 

We make a lot of decisions in life, in fact, life is all about choices. We often place a lot of emphasis on the act of the decision itself and it is certainly important, but the decision is just the first step. Follow-through and implementation are always the hard parts of any decision. The best decisions in the world can be doomed by poor implementation.

Consider hiring decisions, you can hire the perfect person for a job, however if they are not properly on-boarded and trained they will likely fail. How about a new product line or adding an additional business location? The decision can be right for business and represent huge potential, but if the project is rolled out poorly or not well executed, the decision does not matter.

Think about the decisions in your personal life. How are you doing with implementation and follow through?

*Part of this MMM concept was borrowed from “At The Table” podcast.

Mother's Day

 

If you did not talk to your mother on Mother’s Day, do it today.

If you have not recently told your mother that you love her, tell her.

If you have not seen your mother recently, plan a trip.

If you need to reconcile with your mother, do it.

If your mother is not in your life or no longer alive, love someone like a mother.

If you need to forgive your mother, do it.

If you need to ask your mother for forgiveness, ask.

If you are a mother, bless you.

 

In loving memory of Barbara Ward Taylor (1940 -2008) - My mother-in-law lost her battle with lung cancer just one week before Mother’s Day.  She was a loving mother, wife, grandparent, friend and family member.  She had a wonderful zest for life and a love for people. 

White Space

 

There is a design concept called white space. It refers to not overcrowding a design and allowing space between components. The concept is used by artists and graphic designers to create more comfortable and pleasing designs that avoid clutter. Think of a wall with a group of pictures or a magazine photo layout. Too little white space can feel uncomfortable, making the content difficult to absorb or understand. Visually, we need white space.

We should apply the concept of white space to our calendars. I manage my days, and my life for that matter, in an Outlook calendar. I don’t like having a day that is back-to-back appointments booked all day long, or a week with little or no open time. We need white space in our schedule. We need blocks of time to be productive and blocks to recharge. All jobs and schedules are different, but we all need some open time in our lives.

At the end of the day, it is your calendar. Design your calendar like an artist, create your white space!

PS: TJ – Please note above!

Growth & Grace

 

If someone were to ask if you feel like you have grown over time, how would you answer? Are you different than you were six months ago or even a year ago?  Most of us would answer with a resounding, “Yes!” I believe we improve with age, much like wine. Perhaps we become wiser, calmer or even more generous. So why do we look at others and judge, or assume, the person they are today is who they will always be? We do not know who they will become or what they are capable of doing in the future. We also do not know what they may have been in the past. Maybe instead of being skeptical because we do not like what we see, we should have faith knowing they too will learn and grow in time. 

How are you improving overtime? Better yet, how much grace are you showing others going through the same growth process?

Leadership is a Process

 

“The leader has to be practical and a realist, yet must talk
the language of the visionary and the idealist.”
--Eric Hoffer        

 

I do not know Eric Hoffer, but in this quote, he has nailed one of the key challenges of leadership.  Great leaders must be able to relate to all types of people and personalities.  They are capable of thinking and communicating in styles other than their natural personalities.  I consider myself a very practical and pragmatic leader.  That makes it my challenge to relate well to visionaries and non-detail people.  In order to be a good leader, I must be able to understand people who think and see the world differently than I do.  Great leaders adapt their style.  Static leaders become non-leaders. 

 

What are you doing to adjust your leadership style to situations and personalities?