Category: Uncategorized

Last Thursday at work, we talked about quality. What it means and what it doesn’t.
Seth Godin wrote about quality on the same day.
My friend and I told each other of the first transgender person we encountered.
Two pairs of the same event took place on the same day.

These things happen all the time. We don’t know about it because we don’t do enough talking and listening.

Similar thought entered during the full-day workshop on Thursday. They are busy, but not working cross-functionally. Wasting time solving problems already resolved or of no importance. Not understanding who their customers are. Over-investing in the wrong things. Not asking the right questions. They haven’t even met anyone from 8 other pillars within the newly formed company?!

One of them is a big talker and doesn’t understand the question before answering. They want to be spoon fed. Do they understand the importance of the remaining six months before the financial-year end close? The team of 30 must prove their collective value-add. Otherwise, everyone will lose their jobs…
Do they don’t understand the why?
Do they understand the importance of rapid prototyping to create value?

My first priority is to get to know the team and make connections with my cross-functional stakeholders to get their buy-in and support to leverage their expertise and relationships. Get everyone to talk more to one another within our silos but most importantly, the rest of the organization.

Talking is the most efficient way to get information and get things done. Stop emailing. Stop calling. Stop messaging! Go and talk to someone! Go make a connection!

Write every day. At the same time. At the same place. Generate at least a page a day.

Vonnegut, King, and Grisham. They all say the same thing about writing. Why not listen to the experts? I am! Look at the letters appearing on my screen. Are you as excited as I am?

I place the newly purchased desk next to the second-hand bed, and the bed next to a big bright window. It’s quiet, and I have no itch to be elsewhere. Maybe the gym? It can wait.

The laptop went kaput again on Wednesday, and I have a loaner. It’s better in terms of size, weight and the keys spring back every time the finger commands a letter. It used to belong to the CEO. I wonder if he did the two finger shuffle.

The loaner wouldn’t have been possible had it not been for the lady who provides technical support to the executive staff. We have a great relationship. She gives me the loaner without me asking.

I am nothing without the people behind me. The support they provide. Relationships based on trust and respect. Often, the most important relationships are overlooked. The support staff (technicians, personal assistants, and secretaries) determines who and when the plebes can see the big boss. They are often overlooked. Instead of being respected, they are commanded upon.

They talk to the big boss all the time, and drop comments about the people that come their way. All based on their own personal experience. They’re good judges of character, and their expertise is unquestionable. Some say I’m manipulative. They say that I’m only nice to them to get stuff out of them.

I’m nice because they deserve to be treated with the same respect I extend to the CEO. Because they are a valued member of the workforce, and they too, are doing difficult jobs to get their bosses from point A to Z on a daily basis. Let’s not forget how important they are to ensure highest productivity of the people who must make difficult decisions every day.

People forget how critical they are to the company. To their bosses. To the rest of us. And so, I treat them with respect, and they return the favor.

It’s not give and take. Give, give and give. Then give a bit more. You may be surprised at what you get back one day, especially if you give without expectations.

I’d better get there early to meet and greet. Except, I can’t right now because I’m too angry. I’m also aware of the shadows I’ll cast, and so I linger. I can’t bring myself to rise and face the world. All eyes will be on me.

Instead of bathing in rage, I must shower with calmness.

I lay out a carpet. I sit and look straight ahead. I stretch and breathe. I remind myself. The people I’ll see later has nothing to do with my rage, and they don’t deserve the negative emotion building inside of me.

They expect to see a friendly leader who’ll bring forth much-needed change. The highly charged magnet they hired to drive the impossible.

And so, I delay to exhale. I am late to the session because I don’t want to be here.

Once I arrive, however, I turn on the light to exude the lightness despite the rage within. I greet and smile. I play the part. The giant stirs inside but is put to rest for now.

And the buzzkill settles in.

Back to the grind away from creative efforts. Pointed questions take over. How do we short-circuit? How do we reduce the cycle time?

I walk across to my new home and the boss’s desk is empty.

I run into my boss’s boss: the CEO.  I tell him, “I’m starting my first day here, and I’m so excited!” He welcomes me, and I correct him by rhyming my name with a piece of fruit. I give him a high five and smile.

Afterwards, I wonder… perhaps a hand shake would have been more appropriate?

The day starts with three missed calls from 06:15 because it sleeps until I turn it on every morning. The guys have arrived early to set up.

A stage set for a real production. Some things, us amateurs can never bring to the table. Professionals…they’re worth every penny.

The dry run takes place just half hour before the curtains rise. The house isn’t full, but all the role players are there.

Lights. Camera. Action!

I don’t have a speech, and impromptu mode takes over. The crowd laughs. Infectious energy infiltrates. Next on the agenda is introduced. High fives are given. Panel of speakers wow the crowd.

The master of ceremony takes over. Everyone’s having fun. We all rise.

Paper airplanes glide across the stage, and the show comes to an end. Congratulations follow. Many pats on the back. Recognition of all the hard work by all behind the stage.

The skills developed up until this point:

1. Going to see the problem first-hand. Understand what’s wrong.
2. Taking over when required
3. Working real time with fellow MBAs – put it on the screen
4. Talent show with fellow MBAs during the first two weeks of the program
5. Toastmasters
   1. Practicing public speaking
   2. Focusing on being the host, or the toastmaster
6. Working in teams and trusting others to deliver their individual parts

Once again, I’m reminded… we don’t need more time. We need more of one another.

The sprint to the finish line. Instructed a junior resource at 08:30 to get something done. It’s now 4pm and the PO is still not issued. After much frustration, multiple phone calls, and last-minute scramble, the PO is issued and equipment will arrive tomorrow morning.

We write the script. We brief the speakers. I drive to meet a critical stakeholder, because without him, we’ll fail. He’s happy. He’s behind us.

We do three dry runs.
Faster! Do it like you’re in front of the audience. Don’t explain. Just speak as if you will, as if you’re on. Go! Again! Ok, good. Now, do it again.

Everything we do is based on a figment of my imagination improved and honed through show and tell with a wide group of people. I practiced my key note speech with the Toastmasters last Thursday with feedback we’re implementing today.

Budget: $3000
Days to plan: 5 days

What we do tomorrow will be recorded in front of a live audience of 50 people. The first time the company will see an in-house production with no help from external creative directors.

I asked for two scripts from two staff members: one junior and one seasoned. The junior’s is full of enthusiasm but doesn’t relate back to the business. A stand-alone piece that adds no value. The senior’s language is appropriate for the executive speakers. It’s relevant and requires little rework.

We spend time and effort to attract fresh talent. The millennials. What are we doing to retain and encourage the senior workforce?

We’re chasing the latest technology. The last frontier. Seeing how it can make us work even more efficiently. How to outsmart the competition.

Too often, we forget about the people who actually do the work. Instead of asking, what can we do better…? Why don’t we ask, what can we stop doing?

How about saying no to ageism? Stop believing the myth of the irrelevance of older workforce. The mature workforce brings with them unique and unbeatable perspective. Some call this expertise from decades of experience.

No system can beat out the wisdom of collective experience and expertise. Couple this with fresh perspective from the millennials, we will change the rules. We can change the world.

We talk about the value of MBA according to the two of us:

1. The network
2. The way we work – put it on the screen and do it together. Prepare before hands, come together and finish the work.
3. General knowledge of everything – enough to talk the talk and get the specialists to do the work
4. Stamp of approval for corporate positions

We recommend our friend pursue either 1) full time or 2) executive. We also think the exchange is a great idea to open up another set of networks.

They all leave, and I clean up. Time to get some work done.
Wait… What is this that I see? A small purse with a passport, credit card and… Oh my goodness, my friend just took a train to the airport for a flight leaving in 2 hours.

So I jump in the car to race to the airport. She won’t get my message until she’s out of the train station. I am 15 minutes away when she calls, panicked. I park too far and run as fast I can to her check-in gate. My lungs still burn

My friend asks the check-in agent if she can get a fragile sticker on the back. They don’t have any stickers. My friend says she’s worried about the lamp. The agent says they don’t allow lamps. I scoff and laugh. My friend is tired and crazy.

I send her off to security check point and start walking back.
Is that a mirage? I see a friend coming back from a business trip. Small world?

I enter R100 into the parking machine to pay R20. It just eats the money like a selfish monster. I must find a parking office to get the refund. Another 20 minutes added to my journey.

I come back home. 8 o’clock greets me. I have gotten no work done this weekend. I had so much to do. The trees shake to the winds as I sit down for the first time in 6 days to dance with words.  We can only react to the external forces of life. The planned 8 hour work schedule totally goes out the window.

7am upper body workout. It’s nice and quiet until someone decides to speak loudly in Spanish. I cringe. Why do some people feel the need to take up all the audible space around them? Why can’t they talk softly to the other person instead of the entire world?

The gym during this time is blissful, especially in the shower, steam room, and sauna. I have the entire place to myself, and I spend my time getting ready. A full hour, in fact. Not having to rush to get somewhere is a luxury that I’ve been missing.

A friend is in town for the weekend and I prioritize spending time with her. Breakfast. Help her buy some lamps for cheap. Get a sports massage that’s too expensive for her in Zug. Buy some snacks for her boyfriend. Maybe I can work on the evening. Except I change my mind. We decide to go cheer a friend and his 3 teammates for the last heat of Last Man standing, a competition from CrossFit. He’s happy we’re there to cheer him on, and I know how much it means to him. Then I rush home to clean and join them for dinner.

Top two steakhouses won’t take reservations so we go to the third best option. Really bad and slow service, but the steak is amazing. We eat. We laugh. We drink.

No work today. A day of taking care of two great friends.

Exhausted, I crash on the couch and think I could just sleep until the morning. Except I don’t. I go out to dinner with the two friends and come back home to crash. I’m not being a good professional worker bee, but my brain is tired from all the thinking and the doing. It seeks social interaction with friends. We laugh. We eat. We drink. We laugh a lot. It’s always fun hanging out with these two. One is leaving for good in 3 weeks. Another one lives overseas.

I’m prioritizing precious time with people that I probably won’t see for a long time, if ever after they’re gone. People leaving used to bother me. So much it would bring tears to my eyes before I would sleep. Goodbyes are no different from Hellos. The goodbyes and hellos are opposite from each other. All goods things come to an end. So I spend time with friends I’ve fallen in love with. Work takes a back seat, and it’s a conscious choice I can live with.