2011 September » Nonsense At Work

#527: The sound of one brain storming

Sep 282011

When trouble looms or problems multiply, what do the brave do? They brainstorm. Well, I don’t like the typical brainstorm.

A brainstorm session can be exactly that – the sound of one brain storming. With a bit of luck a few brains might share a few ideas. With much luck, a few other brains will polish the few ideas.

Instead of a river of radical ideas to riff on, you end up with a trickle of tame themes.

Here’s how to get every brain to storm. Before the meeting, send out key questions to trigger thoughts; collect and collate those thoughts; share results with participants. This way every brain has had a private storm in anticipation of the collective storm.

Or even simpler, at the start of the meeting, get all brains to formulate their ideas in writing, before they may utter a word. Now all brains are storming, not only the loudest ones.

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Listen to the radio version of The sound of one brain storming (10 most recent radio files)

#526: The U in Humor

Nonsense No Responses »

Sep 262011

I’m not British, but I enjoy the British sense of humour. After almost 10 years in the USA much of American humor is still lost on me. As they say in the classics, I just don’t get it.

However, I am pleased to say, I’m making progress because I’ve had an epiphany. There is only one ‘u’ in American humor, but two in British humour. Go check the spelling.

We know there must be a ‘u’ in humor – that’s why you find it funny. But the thing about humor that makes it really work is that the joker and the listener must find it funny. If only one of you gets it, then it isn’t even half as funny.

Lately, a lot of jokes have been on us, the common people. So I say, come on, America! Put the second ‘u’ back in humor. Maybe then we’ll get jokers who know when not to jest at our expense.

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Listen to the radio version of The U in Humor (10 most recent radio files)

#525: Managers cannot unless workers want to

Business, Motivation, Workers/Employees No Responses »

Sep 232011

You might not know this, so I’ll tell you. The third largest sporting event in the world is currently taking place. Twenty national teams, including the USA, are competing for the Rugby World Cup.

I don’t think sports teams make good models for business teams to copy. However, in 1997 something happened in rugby that managers might find helpful. The British rugby team won a game they were expected to lose.

Apparently they won because the players drew up their own code of conduct. Weird, I know, so I’ll let Mister Cotton, their manager at the time, explain:

“We could have handed out the rulings and thoughts to the players ourselves, but it would have had none of the impact. As management we can create an environment but we can’t make it happen. The players have got to want to do it themselves.”

Managers cannot make it happen? Workers must want to? How quaint!

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Listen to the radio version of Managers cannot unless workers want to (10 most recent radio files)

#524: Step over painted obstacles

Motivation, Perception/Reality No Responses »

Sep 212011

Remember that line in the sand you used to draw as a kid? “Step over this line and I’ll biff you.” And if the other kid was bigger and dared to put his foot over the line, then you simply drew a new line and said firmly, “Step over this line and I’ll bop you.”

Sooner or later you had to biff up or back down. You had to make your stand in the sand.

Newspaper columnist Ralph Whitlock once wrote of a squirrel confronted by the yellow line painted on a road. Two mornings in a row the squirrel came down a tree and approached the line, hesitated, turned back and disappeared up the tree.

On the third morning he went through the same routine, except this time he backed away from the line, charged forward and launched himself over the line.

Yes, indeed, obstacles are often of our own making or interpretation, mere lines in the sand or paint on your path.

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Listen to the radio version of Step over painted obstacles (10 most recent radio files)

#523: Exact change is appreciated

Business, Change No Responses »

Sep 192011

Once a month I get an email to remind me that ‘exact change is always appreciated’. This message has been popping up in my inbox regularly over many years. Only now have I recognized its wisdom.

Many years ago I met a serial entrepreneur who kindly invited me to attend his lunch club of bold business brains. Because his enterprising members tend to be rather busy, or forgetful, mine host sends out a monthly meeting reminder.

And being a dinkum businessman, he reminds them of the dollar amount of the lunch fee. Here’s the bit of wisdom. He ends with the phrase “exact change is always appreciated.”

Like many entrepreneurs, this serial entrepreneur has learned that change will happen, ready or not. And that there is money to be made in change, if you read it right. And that there is much money to be made if you can create the exact change you want.

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Listen to the radio version of Exact change is appreciated (10 most recent radio files)

#522: Fail to deliver wrong order

Effectiveness, Success, Work No Responses »

Sep 142011

One day I watched a waitress wave her cleaning wand over a table and chairs. Although she did a magical job, she ultimately failed to prepare the site for the next patrons.

As with much in life, it’s all in the order of things. Sequence matters. In the beginning was not the end. The waitress I watched appeared not to know this.

She cleaned all the chairs, first. Very nicely, I do admit. Then she wiped the table. Again, nicely done. Except, and it’s a big ‘except’. Many of the crumbs and some of the grub previously on the table were now scattered on the previously cleaned chairs.

Here’s the real magic in that moment. She did not notice.

Because she got the order wrong, excuse the pun, she failed to deliver. Thanks to her, I am very aware that unless we check the order of things, we will fail to deliver. No magic in that.

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Listen to the radio version of Fail to deliver wrong order (10 most recent radio files)

#521: Laboring on the payroll

Work, Workers/Employees No Responses »

Sep 122011

Be warned, this piece is meant to irritate you on Labor Day. What does the word labor mean? To many of us it means ‘work’ as in “I labored at writing this piece of nonsense.” However, ‘labor’ actually means hard work. For example, I labored to get this piece of nonsense written.

A subtle difference, and yet to me it is a meaningful difference. Many of us are quick to complain that companies and managers tend to view employees as costs and not as assets. Managers appear more comfortable with reducing labor costs than they are with investing in labor. And, based on how some people behave at work, who can blame them?

Consider your own behavior at work, honestly and objectively. How do you labor at work, as an expense or as an asset?

Here comes the irritating bit. At least once a year we should all answer this question: exactly why am I on the payroll?

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Listen to the radio version of Laboring on the payroll (10 most recent radio files)

#520: Add what matters

Effectiveness, Team Work/Building No Responses »

Sep 052011

Life makes it difficult to be always adding and never taking. That’s why working in teams is good for you. Sometimes you contribute and sometimes you cruise; sometimes you carry because one day you need to be carried.

Bill Cosby once said that it matters not whether your glass is half empty or half full. What matters is whether you are adding to the glass or taking away. I agree, sort of, because, as the following story illustrates, what you add really matters.

Once upon a time a guy nursed a beer at a pub counter. Surprisingly, he developed a need to visit the little boys’ room. Noting the many little boys in the pub, he wrote a note next to his glass, “I spat in this beer,” hoping that this would discourage them from drinking his beer.

When he got back, he found that someone had added to his note. That’s right! Someone had written, “Me too!”

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Listen to the radio version of Add what matters (10 most recent radio files)

#519: From to-do list to surge list

Goals No Responses »

Sep 012011

Photo Source: US Navy

It’s Monday morning. You have much to do. Where to begin! With a to-do list. What’s the nicest thing about a to-do list? Checking items off the list.

So, what should be the first item on your to-do list? Make a to-do list, of course. This way you start the day with a rush of pleasure as you check off the first item.

Talking about checking your to-dos, here’s what I don’t like. What, what, what. No mention of why or how. Surely, it’s not only what you do, it’s also why and how you do it. Why and how form your attitude, your mind-set, to what you do.

The word ‘check’ means ‘to hold back’. Is that what you want?

For real zing, create a surge list instead. Begin your ‘what’s to be done’ with ‘why’ and ‘how’ to create ‘wow’. This will turn your check list into a surge list and your to-dos done.

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Listen to the radio version of From to-do list to surge list (10 most recent radio files)