July 11, 2020
Super Cufflinks
These will definitely make you feel special.
Maybe like a quasi Superhero.
Some may think you're a little arrogant and all that.
But maybe you just are hoping to be super at whatever you do.
It's good to have an imagination and aspiration, and maybe a little sense of humor and fun.
As long as you don't let it go to your head or to your pompous a**. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumetnhal)
December 15, 2017
Slow Build - Rapid Demise
Or as they say:
"Rome wasn't built in a day."
But it's not always easy to have patience.
We all have to start somewhere and usually it's at the bottom.
And then we have to claw our way up (like Rocky).
Unless of course, you're one of those people born with a "silver spoon" in your mouth.
The funny thing about building and climbing is that it can all be destroyed in a split second.
One silly mistake, one stupid word, one indiscretion, one lackadaisical moment, a turn of bad luck...or a series thereof.
It takes so much time and effort to build as we lay one brick of success upon another.
And it takes just a split second to destroy it all.
So watch-watch-watch your steps, because they can so easily turn into a rapid, spiraling, and even most deadly a fall. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Slow Build - Rapid Demise
November 27, 2017
Motivation, Hard Work, and Blessings
Motivation, Hard Work, and Blessings
May 24, 2016
This House Is For The Birds
We all need to live somewhere.
Too many people in shelters and on the streets.
Started giving money to some of the homeless on the way to the Metro.
My friend's father used to say, "If they ask then they need it."
Perhaps what's needed is a little more kindness, TLC, and compassion for all G-d's loving creatures.
While it's nice to look up to aspire and climb the next rung of life, it's as important to look down and remember from where you came and where you can still go again. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
This House Is For The Birds
February 13, 2014
Who Do You Want To Be?
Each hand, done by a student, was supposed to represent who they wanted to be as people.
In the center of each was a core saying/belief of the student written on the palm.
And then on each of the five fingers was their personal aspirations:
Emotionally
Physically
Socially
Intellectually
Spiritually
I thought this was a really cool assignment to think and focus on where we're going with our lives and what our personal goals are.
Like a mini-personal architecture, these hands are the hands of our young people who have their lives ahead of them and the energy and opportunity to shape their futures.
No, none of us has control over the future, but we can do our part to shape who we are as human beings, as this student says:
"I am who I want to be."
Of course, we have to choose wisely, work hard, and go for it!
We never know if there are any true second chances. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Who Do You Want To Be?
July 28, 2012
Dress For Success?
This lady took the opportunity to literally sprawl herself out on the train.
She had a rolling briefcase with the arm fully extended.
To which she casually hung her jacket with the collar sloppily up.
She slumped up in the seat, and then took off her shoe and put her foot up on the briefcase.
Then she began curling her toes--back and forth--while she listened to her iPod or iPhone (not sure which it was).
Later she threw her handbag under her seat behind her shoe.
Must've been a tough day for her or is this just her way?
I remember learning from my early days in MBA school that you should always dress at least one level up (or more)--i.e. make yourself look the the part of the job you really want.
If you see yourself in that position and can make others see you in that role too then eventually you'll be the guy or gal!
I've seen people dress up and down in the office--of course, the ones that spend the money and take the time and effort to dress for success, look pretty impressive.
At the same time, the clothing and accessories, while they may help the person look put together--sometimes are nothing more than "lipstick on a pig"--the clothes disguise the true person--and they are not very impressive on the inside.
I've heard some successful people in town preach that how you dress is absolutely critical and they chide others for not straightening their belt and shining their shoes.
This past week, I heard the opposite from someone who said he looks at people in the hot summer weather, and if they are dressed in a "coat and tie," then he writes them off, since they don't have even the basic common sense to dress for the season. This guy, while himself a boss, was literally in a t-shirt in the office!
I personally always sort of liked the Silicon Valley--high-tech dress code--like Steve Jobs--a black tee (or turtle--too hot for me) with jeans and maybe a relaxed sports coat--comfortable and freeing yet sort of casually-classy.
While some people say that the dress makes the person, I think that what is inside is what really counts--although talking off your shoes on train is not going to win you any promotions or brownie points, for sure. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Dress For Success?
November 26, 2010
Raising the Bar By Aligning Expectations and Personality
I always love on the court television show Judge Hatchett, when she tells people: "I expect great things from you!"
The Pygmalion Effect says that when we have high expectations of performance for people, they perform better.
In other words, how you see others is how they perform.
While behavior is driven by a host of motivational factors (recognition, rewards, and so on), behavior and ultimately performance is impacted by genetic and environmental factors—“nature and nurture”—and the nurture aspect includes people’s expectations of us.
Like a self-fulfilling prophecy, people live up or down to expectations.
For example, studies by Rosenthal and Jacobson showed that if teachers expected enhanced performance from selected children, those children performed better.
When people have high or low expectations for others, they treat them differently—consciously or unconsciously—they tip off what they believe the others are capable of and will ultimately deliver. In the video, The Pygmalion Effect: Managing the power of Expectation, these show up in the following ways:
- Climate: The social and emotional mood we create, such as tone, eye contact, facial expression, body language, etc.
- Inputs: The amount and quality of instruction, assistance, or input we provide.
- Outputs: The opportunities to do the type of work that best aligns with the employee and produce that we provide.
- Feedback: The strength and duration of the feedback we provide.
In business, expect great things from people and set them to succeed by providing the following to meet those expectations:
- Inspiration
- Teaching
- Opportunity
- Encouragement
Additionally, treat others in the style that is consistent with the way that they see themselves, so that there is underlying alignment between the workplace (i.e. how we treat the employee) and who the employee fundamentally is.
Normally people think that setting high expectations means creating a situation where the individual’s high performance will take extra effort – both on their part and on the part of the manager.
However, this is not necessarily the case at all. All we have to do is align organizational expectations with the inherent knowledge, skills, and abilities of the employee, and their individual aspirations for development.
The point is we need to play to people’s strengths and help them work on their weaknesses. This, along with ongoing encouragement, can make our goals a reality, and enable the organization to set the bar meaningfully high for each and every one of us.
Raising the Bar By Aligning Expectations and Personality
May 9, 2010
Who Are Your High Potential Employees?
It is easy to confuse high performing employees with high potential employees (HIPOs), but they are not the same.
An article in Harvard Business Review called “How to Keep Your Top Talent” (May 2010) states that “only about 30% of today’s high performers are, in fact, high potentials. The remaining 70% may have what it takes to win now, but lack some critical component for future success.”
According to HBR, the litmus tests for discerning which high performers are also your high potential employees, are as follows:
1) Ability—High performers need to have the ability to not only do what they are doing now, but to take it to the next level to be high potentials.
2) Engagement—High performers must have “commitment to the organization to be prudent bets for long-term success.”
3) Aspiration—High performers who aspire to more senior-level roles and “choose to make the sacrifices required to attain and perform those high-level jobs” are aligned for future success.
These three traits together help to pinpoint the genuine HIPOs—those who have the ability, the engagement, and the aspiration for probable future success.
Of course, having these traits does not guarantee success, since leadership development is tested “under conditions of real stress.”
Many organizations test their HIPOs by identifying risky and challenging positions—developmental opportunities—and putting their rising starts in these positions to see who can meet the challenge.
These stretch positions are what I would call “the moment of truth” when people either sink or swim.
In some extremely competitive organizations, employee failure (contained of course in terms of organizational damage) is just as much valued as their success—because it weeds out the true stars from the runner-ups.
This can be taken to an extreme, where even strong performers are managed out of the organization simply because they didn’t win the next round.
However, rather than weeding people out and treating employees as gladiators—where one wins and another loses—organizations are better served by helping all their employees succeed—each according to their potential.
So instead of an “up or out” mentality, the organization can value each high performing employee for what they bring to the table.
Too often we only value the highest achievers among us and we forget that everyone has an important role to play.
While organizations need to differentiate their high potential employees—those who can really do more—to meet succession-planning goals—organizations will also benefit by nurturing the potential of all their high performing employees and taking them as far as they can go too.
Who Are Your High Potential Employees?