2010 September » Nonsense At Work

#426: Faulting the enemy within

Success, Trust, Workers/Employees No Responses »

Sep 282010

We know that success comes from listening to customers and from paying attention to what our competitors are doing. We also know that we should pay attention to the people inside our organization.

But we don’t, not really. Most of the attention we pay them is in the form of instructions, rules, and regulations.

And now job scarcity has made it so much easier for us to do more telling and less listening. We can stress policies and procedures instead of worrying about culture and values.

The catch is that we spend more time and energy dealing with internal issues while mostly ignoring customers and competitors.

When we fail to see our repetitive internal struggles as odd behavior, we have become what Carl Jung called the enemy within. We remain the enemy within as long as we deny that we create our obstacles to success. But then, it’s not our fault that the economy is still a mess, is it?

I’m James McIntosh at nonsenseatwork dot com

Listen to the radio version of Faulting the enemy within (10 most recent radio files)

James can be heard on Public Radio: Monday – 7:19am and Saturday – 8:19am
88.9 FM WCVE, Richmond VA | 89.1 FM WCNV, Heathsville VA | 90.1 FM WMVE, Chase City VA

#425: Mistakenly following right

Business No Responses »

Sep 222010

What is the opposite of ‘right’? Before you shout ‘left’, let me a bit more specific. What is the opposite of ‘right’ as in ‘correct’?

Once upon a time my immediate response would have been ‘wrong’ as in ‘incorrect’. With scratches and scars that tell of me not knowing my left from my right, I now believe that the opposite of ‘right’ is… learning… as in ‘teaching moment’.

I have never learned as much from being right as I have gained from being wrong. So I wonder, why do we only have positive role models? How about a few negative ones! Many of us will gain more by trying to be less like poor Mr. X rather than striving to be more like spectacular Mrs. Y.

This applies equally to companies. Don’t always compare yourself to a ‘better’ competitor. Compare yourself to a ‘worse’ one to see what you should avoid doing at all cost.

I’m James McIntosh at nonsenseatwork dot com

Listen to the radio version of Mistakenly following right (10 most recent radio files)

James can be heard on Public Radio: Monday – 7:19am and Saturday – 8:19am
88.9 FM WCVE, Richmond VA | 89.1 FM WCNV, Heathsville VA | 90.1 FM WMVE, Chase City VA

#424: Happiness is a warm job

Change, Perception/Reality, Work No Responses »

Sep 202010

According to many long term surveys, most people express fairly positive views about their jobs. How can this be? Here are two explanations.

The first one is called cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance is what you feel when you notice an inconsistency between your attitude and your behavior. For example, when you admit to being unhappy in your job, but you still go to work, then your behavior is inconsistent with your feelings.

Inconsistency is an unpleasant state. So, when you admit to being dissatisfied with your job, you will be under pressure from this feeling of dissonance to do something about the uncomfortable state.

We all tend to take the path of least resistance and so it will be easier for you to change your perceptions about your job than to find a new job.

Today there is a more basic explanation for why people report positive views about their jobs – simply thankful to have one.

I’m James McIntosh at nonsenseatwork dot com

Listen to the radio version of Happiness is a warm job (10 most recent radio files)

James can be heard on Public Radio: Monday – 7:19am and Saturday – 8:19am
88.9 FM WCVE, Richmond VA | 89.1 FM WCNV, Heathsville VA | 90.1 FM WMVE, Chase City VA

#423: Ask ‘why?’ successfully

Goals, Leadership, Success No Responses »

Sep 152010

Summer is over and it’s time to get serious again about work.

Here’s a question that might help you get serious about the rest of the year. Imagine that today is the 31st of December and that you are looking back in time. How will you know that it was a successful year for you?

Most people tend to list all the things that should have happened and all the things that they should have done to make it a success.

These are ‘what’ questions. What happened? What should have happened? What did I achieve?

When it comes to success, the right questions to ask start with ‘why’? Why should that have happened? Why should I have achieved that?

Do yourself and your colleagues a favor. Ask ‘why?’, repeatedly. Do this often and you will succeed in irritating them. But the chances are that you will also be more successful. And that’s worth a little irritation.

I’m James McIntosh at nonsenseatwork dot com

Listen to the radio version of Ask ‘why?’ successfully (10 most recent radio files)

James can be heard on Public Radio: Monday – 7:19am and Saturday – 8:19am
88.9 FM WCVE, Richmond VA | 89.1 FM WCNV, Heathsville VA | 90.1 FM WMVE, Chase City VA

#422: Be prepared to have more fun

Nonsense No Responses »

Sep 132010

When I was a kid, we used to joke that a sweater is something you put on when your mother is cold. Now that I’m a father, I hear me saying things like, “Take a sweater. You can always leave it in the car.”

As you can see, I don’t want to be like my mother. I don’t tell my kids to put on a sweater. I tell them to take one with them. Call me practical because I’m always prepared.

Call me experienced because I’ve learned that two things stop us having fun – the constant ‘what if’ in our minds and Murphy’s Law. According to the one, things will go wrong. Thanks to the other, we kill the moment by imagining ‘what if’ things go wrong.

Call me wise because I know that being prepared actually makes it possible for me to have more fun. Which is why, Mother, I always take a sweater.

I’m James McIntosh at nonsenseatwork dot com

Listen to the radio version of Be prepared to have more fun (10 most recent radio files)

James can be heard on Public Radio: Monday – 7:19am and Saturday – 8:19am
88.9 FM WCVE, Richmond VA | 89.1 FM WCNV, Heathsville VA | 90.1 FM WMVE, Chase City VA

#421: Laboring under confusion

Work No Responses »

Sep 072010

I’m confused. What is Labor Day? It can’t be to celebrate work, because we already do that at least five days out of seven. And it can’t be to celebrate laziness, because too many people are too frantic on this day.

I know that the original Labor Day was a direct outcome of the 1894 Pullman Strike. It was probably planned as a symbolic reconciliation between workers and bosses. Yet it has not ended labor disputes.

To some, the day is the symbolic end of summer and the reality of laboring under a hot sun. To others it is the reality of school with its symbolic hard, cold benches.

I think I understand that Labor Day, like any day, means the end and the beginning of something to someone. Here’s what I don’t understand. Why in reality must so many people on planes and boats and trains and roads labor so hard to make this day a symbolic success?

I’m James McIntosh at nonsenseatwork.com

Listen to the radio version of Laboring under confusion (10 most recent radio files)

#420: Failing to move on

Change, Success No Responses »

Sep 062010

It’s Labor Day weekend and you’re planning another cookout. To ensure that you don’t labor in vain, here’s a bit of wisdom practiced by many successful people.

Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly.

Did you get that? Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly.

Doing something worthwhile always carries the risk of failure. The only way to be sure is to try. However, when your fear of failure stops you even trying, then you have failed before you have even started.

You have also stunted your development. Why? Because if you don’t even try, then you won’t make mistakes. Making mistakes is the quickest way to learn.

The secret is to try something, make mistakes if you must, fail quickly, then try something else. Failure is merely an opportunity to move onto something new.

And moving onto something new is exactly what you’ll be told to do if you fail again at the grill.

I’m James McIntosh at nonsenseatwork.com

Listen to the radio version of Failing to move on (10 most recent radio files)

#419: Slide into a different future

Motivation, Work, Workers/Employees No Responses »

Sep 012010

Years ago Dr. Wally Johnston warned us that we should not work hard because working hard gets you more work and tired. Today we know that although Dr. Wally was right, he was also wrong.

Dr. Wally was right when he explained that it makes more sense to work smart. Working smart means you are working to a plan; you are committed to getting it done; you monitor what you do; you make adjustments; and you keep learning to improve.

And that’s where Dr. Wally got it wrong, at least for today’s work environment. Today success is not determined by how smart you work in your job, but by how hard you work at keeping your job.

Are you also fed up with the endless, mindless work that employers expect you to thank them for? Then consider what many are now seeing as the ultimate smart move: Grab two beers as you slide into a different future.

I’m James McIntosh at nonsenseatwork dot com

Listen to the radio version of Slide into a different future (10 most recent radio files)

James can be heard on Public Radio: Monday – 7:19am and Saturday – 8:19am
88.9 FM WCVE, Richmond VA | 89.1 FM WCNV, Heathsville VA | 90.1 FM WMVE, Chase City VA