Easier Said Than Done...

Our business coach is consistently telling me to set my situation up so that I cannot fail--to see success as a set of very simple reasonable goals that WILL happen, and anything in addition to that as just icing on the cake. Now, as a teacher of such ideals you'd think I would have this down pat, but I do not. I find it quite challenging to do a job, feel just okay about it, and go out and celebrate a success. Last week I was shown why.

I did a presentation that I did not feel was my strongest performance. It wasn't bad, but I didn't walk away going, "YEAH! I nailed that!" I left with a feeling of acceptance and a desire to do better the next time.

A few days later I received a phone call about the presentation and an invitation to make a proposal for a major speaking engagement. I guess it WAS a success after all. We often hold ourselves to standards that are not easily achieved, especially when we feel passionate about something. That feeling makes us far more critical than others tend to be.

Moral of the story: Set simple, fool-proof goals for success; the rest is just gravy. Thanks, Jack.

I Fell into the Generaton Gap, HELP!

While researching a presentation for next week I came across this clever quiz from Success Performance Solutions about generation gaps in the office. I thought it would be a good thing to share with you. I found the quiz enjoyable because it doesn't just ask you questions, it also provides an explanation in the answers. It's good to know WHY you are wrong, not just that you are. :)

I, myself, am right on the cusp of the X/Y gap and find my loyalties doubly split. Being raised in a home with one of the Baby Boomers who fully equated time and success in the workplace with personal achievement, I had a solid belief that a shirt and tie were required at all times, and that more time in the office was time better spent. My, how that changed when I started working with Microsoft employees and their new generation approach to the whole corporate schema. The entire Seattle area really challenged a lot of people's perspective about what "professional" was.

The past few decades have been an interesting road in learning the nuances of training and managing teams with such gaps in generations and work ethics. Diversity education isn't just about race and religion, it's about culture, and culture has more variables than just where you were raised. Age does, indeed, make a difference. Hopefully, we will see more trainers take the generation gap into consideration when addressing the diversity issues in an organization.

A Peak Presentation

Standing on the top of Flagstaff Mountain I spoke to the many incredible members of the Boulder Women's Leadership Group. The people smiled and proudly wore their diamond rings. I enjoyed my time, as I always do, with the BWLG. It was a marvelous way to start the day. I wish more days could start at the top of a mountain. It really gives you a different perspective. There will be no meeting next month as the Boulder Chamber of Commerce is having their annual Women Who Light the Community dinner. Check out the Chamber Website and attend to support this fantastic event. I'll see you there.

Hope for the future of business, community and humanity...

Prior to watching the film WALL-E with my family the other day we laughed as the pre-movie commercials repeated themselves. "Someone isn't doing their job." my son said as we waited for the film to start. One of the commercials was the piece that Aicila mentioned in her post from The Foundation for a Better Life. It took a minute to realize that they weren't really advertising anything. It wasn't a commercial.

Further inquiry revealed an organization that is faceless, without product. They are the epitome of vision since that is their only product. They have a goal, it is to show models of life lived by a positive set of values. No religious overtone. No product placement to show a company being a responsible corporate citizen. No push to join something or to give anything. They just want people to listen.

You cannot donate to them. You cannot buy their posters or video spots. You can just hear what they say and add the concepts into your daily life. I want that. I want the work I do to be so widely beneficial. I hope that someday it can be. That is my dream.

Marketing in for a Better World.

I can't remember the first time I saw the Foundation for a Better Life materials. I think the first one I remember seeing was in my frequent trips to the Denver airport. I went last Sunday and for the first time it registered that it wasn't just an ad. It was a message of hope. My family and I had gone to see WALL*E on Saturday morning and before the movie we saw this:

which I think finally convinced to go check them out. It was inspiring.