In the summer, I think there’s nothing like a good hot dog with chili, coleslaw, and some shredded cheese. In addition to tasting fabulous, sometimes a good chili dog teaches you a lesson (other than don’t wear a white shirt while eating it!). Just this past week, I was making our homemade hot dog chili, and an incredible revelation hit me. You see, I had all of the ingredients – lean ground beef, yellow onion, garlic, chili powder, mustard, etc. – but I could not make the chili. There was no ketchup to be found anywhere in our kitchen. No Heinz. No Hunts. No house brand even. Nada. No ketchup, no chili. It only takes a cup and a half for my recipe, but it’s an essential ingredient with no substitute. And then it hit me….what I was staring at looks like a lot of organizational teams. They have the people, the plans, and even their “special differentiating factors” but they are missing the one crucial ingredient needed to make things work. They’re a chili recipe with no ketchup.
As I see it, the ketchup for groups is protected time to implement plans and new changes. You see, without the ketchup (and you really don’t need that much) you do not have hot dog chili. Groups need protected time – time when they don’t have a meeting, a phone call, a looming deadline, or whatever, to actually implement the work that has been decided. It doesn’t take a lot – I think for most groups if you just gave folks a day and a half of protected time to process the proposed changes, discuss new goals and objectives, call some key individuals to figure out what is needed, or update key documents with new work flows, you would get to effective implementation a lot quicker. If you don’t, your organizational team is likely to wander around without really accomplishing what you all hoped for.
So, this summer, I encourage you to make some hot dog chili with your team (for real and metaphorically). Dust off the plans and give folks protected time and space to move some ideas closer to the finish line. I promise you’ll enjoy the results.
If anyone knows me or ISI Consulting, you know we take great pride in never (or almost never) doing the same thing with a group or organization. I don’t ever want to be considered a “one-trick pony” facilitator. That’s just unfair for everyone. It’s painful for a group who experienced that same activity a year ago to be forced to do it all again. And it would be just plain boring for me.
However, I have found myself using the same open-ended question for lots of groups lately and I’m not tired of it yet. And the groups I’ve used it with have found this question extremely helpful. So, what is it? “What conversation, if begun today, could ripple out and create new possibilities for the future of ___________?” That blank could be women leaders in higher education, philanthropic funders, dental hygienists…whatever! You fill in the blank, and then just let folks go. I promise you will be amazed and encouraged by what comes out of your group. The wisdom it needs is already present and accessible. What are you hearing? What contributions are emerging? What ideas are beginning to connect? What new possibilities are you noticing?
I encourage you to use the Ripple Question at your next team meeting, staff retreat, board meeting or even with your small group of confidants. This question alone can fill 30 minutes, or even an hour, of time with worthwhile discussion. To start, I like to have small groups (no more than 7 participants) wrestle with the question. Then I move to a medium-sized group (about 14 participants), before bringing all the themes together with the entire group. This ensures everyone’s voice is heard and helps keep the groups focused.
You don’t need to hire a consultant to help you start thinking strategically as a team. You simply need to carve out time and space for reflection. Then use the open-ended Ripple Question for your team to engage in, ponder over, and explore. But, hey…if you do need a consultant to help get your team back on track or moving forward to the next level, I can help with that, too. Give me a call today, and let’s make a plan.
The amazing writer James Clear, author of the book Atomic Habits, has developed a decision-making tool that I think is freaking genius. He divides all decisions into one of three categories – HATS, HAIRCUTS, or TATTOOS. (See the graphic below.)
Hats are low-risk, low investment decisions, like what t-shirt to wear to a meeting. If they don’t work out, there’s little cost to making a change (or damage done). Haircuts require a little more investment, but not that much. For example, if you paint your office that beautiful aqua you once loved but now hate, changing it takes some money and sweat equity, but it won’t break the bank. There are a few decisions, though, that are like tattoos. Once you make them, you have to live with them.
Most of the decisions we make on a daily or even monthly basis are simply a hat or haircut. If they don’t work out, it’s not that big a deal. We can simply change the hat or wait six to eight weeks for our bad bang decision to grow out.
Hat decisions sometimes need to involve a couple of other people, or even your whole team, but often they can be made on your own. One of my hat decisions went wrong this week. I invited too many people to a key meeting, and it turned out to be a “hot mess express.” So what? There will be other meetings, and I can make changes. I will choose a different hat next time and move on.
And what about those haircut decisions? They can be things like hiring a new employee or converting the office to a new project management software. If it doesn’t work out, it will take time for you and your team to recover, reassess, and move on to the next best decision (bangs, bobs, or extensions – who knows?). But here’s the thing…I very often see groups get stuck on haircut decisions. They discuss, discuss, and discuss some more when what they really need to do is ACT. Better to take a risk and try something than to have the same horrible haircut you’ve had since the ‘90’s.
Finally, those tattoo decisions…the big, hairy, scary ones. The ones that are incredibly hard to change. The ones with truly lasting impacts on you and your organization. Decisions like, should we merge with this other nonprofit, or not? Should we expand into a new state (or states), or stay where we are? Is it time to expand our mission and take on a new role? As Clear emphasizes, “When you’re dealing with an irreversible choice, move slowly and think carefully.” For these types of decisions, we need to seek wise counsel and really consider all of the consequences before getting the ink and needle out. I don’t have a single tattoo (and don’t plan to add one), but I know from going to water parks that a lot of folks have not just one, but several. I sometimes wonder if they regret any of those permanent additions to their body’s landscape. If they do, getting rid of it will be costly and painful. Be patient and keep that tattoo item on your agenda as long as you need to until you and your team have all the input you need to make the best decision possible.
In conclusion, I want you to revisit your last board meeting or team agenda. Think about what items are hat, haircut, or tattoo decisions. Let’s take the hat decisions off the agenda for you to figure out by yourself or after talking one-on-one with a colleague. Keep it simple. Let’s act and get clippin’ on those haircut decisions and remember that they’re not forever. Finally, let’s slow our roll on tattoo decisions. They’re permanent and deserve our time, attention, and deliberation. That’s easiest when we’re not bogged down with hats and haircuts.
The Goldilocks Rule states that humans experience peak motivation when working on tasks that are right on the edge of their current abilities. Ones that are not too hard. Not too easy. But just right.
A task or goal that is too easy doesn’t provide any challenge and quickly becomes a chore. And we all know how easy it is to put off chores. (Reorganizing your closet, anyone??) If something is so hard that you can’t see any immediate improvement or progress at all, you’ll simply quit. Your brain knows you can find something easier to accomplish, and brains love the dopamine rush that comes with accomplishment. So how do you find that just right task? Many experts refer to these as stretch goals…something that’s a little beyond our current skills, but something we can envision accomplishing.
For example, several years ago, I decided to run a half-marathon. A bit over thirteen miles. I was a casual jogger at the time, and certainly not ready for that distance. That’s when I realized interim goals are crucial. I didn’t start out running 10 miles a day. I started by running around the block in my neighborhood. Then I ran two houses further. Then five houses further. Then another block. Then another mile. I could see progress, and that kept me motivated. Always remember to include some interim goals in your skill-building plans.
Mastery requires practice. There’s no way around this. Studies have shown that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to master something like playing the piano or ice skating or graphic design. You can have raw talent, but practice is what turns talent into skill. Practice trains your brain and muscles until they work together like a well-oiled machine. As the old saying goes, “practice makes perfect.” Practice lets you do something without having to think about every step in the process. There’s just one challenge…practice can be boring. And boredom is perhaps the greatest villain on the quest for self-improvement. Lack of practice is why many people with plenty of raw talent fail to achieve their goals or significant success. People who master anything have found a way to make practice rewarding, even if it might not be fun. They’ve found a way to beat practice boredom.
So how do we keep boredom at bay? We fall in love with it. We become endlessly fascinated by doing the same thing over and over. We deliberately look for those small improvements or changes that mean progress. Are those piano scales getting easier to play? Do your fingers move faster over the keys? Do you miss fewer notes? Do you notice your workout getting a little easier each day? Can you lift a bit more weight this week than you could before? Progress equals success.
Of course, it never hurts to vary your routine a bit. I don’t jog the same route every day. Sometimes I listen to music while running…other times I listen to a podcast. Or simply enjoy a lovely day and soak in my surroundings. Whenever you’re working on a task or skill that’s just a little bit challenging, remember to switch things up now and again to keep boredom at bay. You do you. But whatever you do, find a way to identify and focus on those tasks that are just hard enough. Like Goldilocks, you’ll find what’s just right.
Inclusive participation matters. There is a mound of research that shows that engagement drives greater productivity, ownership and work quality. What are you doing to include and engage everyone to unleash problem solving in your organization? What are you doing to advance innovation and achieve those aspirational outcomes?
I know, it’s August. Summer is winding down. Vacations are over. School is starting back. And it’s still HOT. But guess what…August is the perfect time to dig deep and make small shifts in your meetings, interactions and engagement with your partners. I’m not asking for monumental change as we close out summer…I’m just asking for all of us to see what we can do to amplify the wisdom of others in the room. Because small shifts now can reap great benefits in September and beyond.
Below is a list of ten principles of inclusive engagement for you to consider. Which one do you want to experiment with in August? Just try one and see if it doesn’t improve your organization in some significant way.
I’d love to hear about your successes. But if you are struggling with one of these, the ISI team would be excited to help you. Set up a time for a chat and we’ll provide you with a FREE tool or resource to help you out. Thanks for being a partner and friend to ISI Consulting.
They arranged to rent a bus for the day. And a medical doctor and two nurses devoted a half day to help my family enjoy visiting Table Rock State Park with my father…who died just three months later. The Hospice team didn’t have to do this. The doctor and nurses didn’t have to do this. There was no billing code for reimbursement for their services, but they still did it.
Why? This special Thursday came about all because a doctor listened carefully and then showed unreasonable generosity to my family. He heard my brother and mother talking about hiking to the top of Table Rock, swimming in the lake and getting ice cream at Aunt Sue’s restaurant. Quietly and with no social media optics moment, Dr. Kumar (pictured here with my mother and father) made it happen. Had he and his team ever done this before? Nope…and it didn’t matter.
Why would a physician and two of his nurses do this? Showing love and genuine care was a non-negotiable for them. It defined who this hospice organization was, and you didn’t need to read a strategic plan or mission statement to experience this in action. They baked it into their organization from the ground up, and when an opportunity to show love and genuine care presented itself, they didn’t ask “Should we?”, but “How can we?”
I know the terms welcoming, belonging, and inclusion are being used more frequently around the staff and board table. I want us to really dig deep and uncover what that means for your organization or business. How might we approach being welcoming and inviting with as much passion as we devote to our product or service line? We live in a world where money is getting tight(er), everyone is tired and stretched, and folks are slowly starting to pull back. We need connection like never before. Even in lean times, don’t slack up on your values. Hold true to the reason your organization/business exists. Lean in and be relentless in making your values shine even brighter. We all need that.
South Carolina has 47 amazing state parks scattered from the coast to the Upstate. Let me suggest you visit one of them and build some memories of your own. Because they’re incredibly important during times when we’re all stretched and need connection. If you have never visited Table Rock State Park (Table Rock | South Carolina Parks Official Site) I highly recommend it. It’s the first place my future husband and I said, “I love you” and one of the last places I shared an embrace with my father. I have since visited the park with my three-year old son. He never met my Daddy, but boy do we share stories.
Yep…I did it. I’ve been off the grid for nine days and I’ll admit, it feels a little strange. I whipped into work this morning ready to roll (I thought) and realized I’d left my cell phone at home. Had to turn around and run back for that. Next, I struggled with setting my laptop up in the docking station. You see – my laptop has not been touched in nine days. Needless to say, I was a little rusty and my team members let me know they found it quite humorous. It was definitely a Monday kind of Monday.
There’s more and more evidence that we all need to take a “screen break” every now and then. I completely agree that we all need to “detox” from the large and small monitors in our lives and reclaim how to think without them. We need time to think and marinate on a topic without immediately Googling it or researching an idea. Having time to sit with our thoughts and ideas without a single email, phone call, text message or notification is essential. Don’t worry – the world will still go on, I promise. And I submit, you will probably be more thoughtful, creative, and in-tune with your surroundings by intentionally fasting from the digital monitors that have overcome our daily lives.
Just because I was off the grid while in Mexico this past week doesn’t mean I wasn’t productive. Quite the contrary. I created two new frameworks for strategic planning and an accelerated action plan and even crafted a poem depicting part of the origin story for my business. I did this all with nothing but pen and paper. Throughout the week, I scribbled over pieces of the work and refined ideas further as I was able to think about them more. I’ll even revisit all of this again before taking to the keyboard to type up my final versions. It felt refreshing changing up the process, and first starting with paper and uninterrupted space to really reflect and think about issues. How might I help clients who are having a particular problem? What framework, over-arching focus question, or scripted story could unlock the gridlock and help clients move past their blocks and move toward action? Because I had nine days of no phone calls, no emails, no reminders, and no internet to tell me what the answer was, I was forced to be creative. To come up with ideas and answers that work for MY clients, in OUR collective environment.
If you are stuck with an issue, I encourage you to take a day or two and unplug. No phone calls, no laptop, nothing…but you, some paper, some books (not work-related) and time. I’m sure it will feel downright weird at points, but it will be worth the effort and discomfort. You were created to be creative. You were called into your position at your organization for your perspective. What do you think? Don’t worry what 1,000 followers think or the latest peer-reviewed article says. What do you think and know? What do you want to test and explore? The most successful people always say there was a point where they had to trust their gut and instincts. What they personally knew and had learned. You can’t do that unless things are quiet enough to listen and hear.
Yeah, you heard right. Don’t wiggle out of the squiggle. According to Leith Sharp (director of Harvard’s Sustainability Leadership), squiggle is all of the variation that happens in the “in-between” phases of any project. Apparently, it’s the new jargon for the “messy middle.” New ideas and new projects all have their own set of “issues” – stakeholders, risks, opportunities, budget, history, context, etc. With these issues onboard, the journey is rarely if ever linear. The journey is most often up, down, and all around and sideways. Yet, the final story we share is the linear story. Leith Sharp and others want you to embrace the squiggle and share all parts of your story. Let’s be real, and don’t hide the messy middle.
Just last year while teaching a project management bootcamp, I encouraged team members to be aware of what’s known as the implementation dip. As soon as you get going, there will be a dip in productivity. Beware! Don’t let that dip take you by surprise.
But I failed to tell them that, in all honesty, this process looks more like a roller coaster ride than a single dip. They needed to beware of 250 dips and squiggles that are somewhere in the middle! Did I warn them of that? Heck, no! I just showed one dip on the implementation journey and then moved on to how to sustain momentum. Shame on me.
If you know it’s coming, you won’t wiggle out of the squiggle. Keep going. Keep learning. Keep making adjustments. It’s part of the real-life project life cycle. Embrace the ride. And one more piece of advice. Let’s talk to our newest team members (Gen Z) and let them know to expect this. There are going to be a lot of mistakes, concerns, and questions along the way. Those can make your newest team members really uncomfortable. Build trust on your team and welcome this! We do not wiggle out of the squiggle. We are going to embrace it and move forward. Let’s all be more comfortable and willing to share our real – squiggly – journey so others can learn along the way.
If you’re like me, the holidays hit waaayyy too quickly after the last Halloween candy is gobbled up. But before you get completely caught up in holiday mode I would love for you to carve out one hour for you and your team to conduct a strategy audit for the year 2022.
Yes, I know…you’re thinking, “I don’t have time for one more thing this time of year!” But don’t you worry. I have the questions for you to ask. It’s simple, and it won’t really take that much time. When you’re done, I guarantee you’ll be both surprised and encouraged by what you and your team have found.
Start by walking your team a through a guided visualization where they think back to January 2022. Then progress though all of the months. Give each team member two minutes of silence to scribble down whatever things come to mind. It can be a team member’s support, a milestone reached, that challenging grant submission, or whatever. Anything goes.
Just like in life, you want to record the TA-DA moments (the positives) and the “not there yet” moments. They all count.
Then, guide your team to complete this worksheet together. It will help you sort out all those things the members scribbled down. You’ll examine three dimensions for the year 2022 – results, process, and relationships. What were some of our results? (Did we meet our goals for the year?) Where did we make some process changes this year? (How did they work out?) What was the quality of our relationships, both internal and external? (Do we need to work on these?)
Get it all out on paper, and then when you finish looking at all three areas…ask two final questions:
What insights are emerging from our conversation today?
What do you see as a next step for YOU in 2023?
That’s it…you’ve just completed a strategy audit that is going to set you up for great success in 2023. I want you to commit to carving out an hour to do this SOON. If you wait until January, you’ll have forgotten some of those critical moments and memories. Collect them when they’re fresh!
ISI Consulting is cheering for you all the way!
Stay sharp,
Holly Hayes, President & Founder
P.S. This can be used as a personal audit form as well. I recently did one and realized I need to be a little nicer to my husband. Note to self.
No, I don’t mean flying saucers. I’m talking about Un-Finished Objectives. UFOs.
Don’t you do it. Don’t set one more goal, create one more plan, or make one more resolution until you’ve checked to see if you have any UFOs lying around your office. I know, as each year begins, you feel obligated to start something new. Everybody is doing it. It seems almost obligatory. But resist the urge. Because I guarantee you have some unfinished objectives gathering dust.
Pull out your strategic plan, action plan, or the compelling narrative you sent to a funder, and revisit your goals and objectives with your team. Your goals are probably still relevant and require little changing. And you probably completed some of your objectives, but what about the rest? The UFOs.
Instead of starting with a completely new plan, revisit those UFOs, and see which ones still need to be done, which ones need to be revised, and which ones need to be removed completely. This will take 45 minutes to an hour max with a small team. So why not host a UFO hunt sooner rather than later. I guarantee, key actions will be identified that will advance those goals that your team cares about. Cheers to eliminating one to two UFOs in your organization in the first three months!
