There’s a lovely expression that I came across a few years ago, that has helped me through some difficult and challenging situations: “Not my circus, not my monkeys.” Or, in the original Polish, “Nie mój cyrk, nie moje małpy.” The origins of the phrase are a little uncertain, lost to the mists of time and […]
Good Enough Isn’t Good Enough
All too often, we just show up in our work. We do what’s required, we fall back on old patterns, and we replicate what has worked for us in the past. That’s not bad, per se. Evolution wired us to do that, after all. At the same time, it’s not all that meaningful. And it very often doesn’t reconcile with what we know we’re truly capable of.
Everything In Its Place
Miss en place is a delightful term. It comes from cooking, and is the basis of preparation for a chef. Meaning “everything in its place,” it highlights the value of being ready. It also highlights the value of actually getting started.
Tools In The Toolbox: A Diatribe
Adding a tool to the toolbox. On the surface, this sounds like an awesome and progressive thing to do. And yet—all too often—we risk become packrats, adding more tools without an appreciation of the context of why. Solving real organization problems isn’t an issue of needing more tools. It’s an issue of using the tools that we have effectively and well.
Persistence, Perseverance and Follow-Through
In the face of challenge, we often avoid work—particularly work that challenges us. This might be a result of preparedness, and it may simply be procrastination. In either instance, solving it isn’t a thinking problem. It’s a doing problem. On the very real importance of action.
A Year End Reflection
It is more than a little difficult to believe that the year is almost over. It has been busier than I expected, and it has gone faster than I can imagine. It has been a year of successes and challenges, for me and others. What I’ve done, what I hope to do, and what I hope for everyone else.