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February 2023
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THE PARADOX OF NORMALITY6/29/2020 A few definition of terms, from the Nelson Gage Canadian Dictionary:
Norm- standard of certain type Normal- usual, regular Normality/normalcy/normalization-a normal condition Normative-to do with or constituting/conforming to a norm or standard There is nothing normal under the sun. Not in this age, not in this time. We are in a state of flux, anything is up for grabs. There are winners and losers. The economy and society are evolving at a rapid pace. The pandemic accelerated the turn of events even more. Distant and remote has become synonymous to many things previously not accepted and not tolerated. Sadly, we are not going back to the normal we had prior to this experience. The world nowadays no longer conform to the old norm but a changing norm that we have yet to see form concretely in the next few years. There is a pattern that is emerging from the ambiguity; not the uncertainty that is a function of indecision and paper pushing. What is the new norm you are creating in your own organization that will assist you and also help you thrive in this volatility?
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THE ART OF DISENGAGEMENT6/24/2020 Disengagement is the best strategy to quell the temptation for overreach and overdoing.
Founders, especially have the tendencies to unconsciously usurp more control and power beyond their capabilities and their mandates within their organizations. The best thing to do with disengagement is to completely pull away, when new leadership is established and a new mandate for them had been set up. The old guards must vacate not just physically but emotionally and ceremoniously so that their influence and their previous ideas of "how things should be done" no longer can sway the organization. Believing that the organization will exist, will prosper, will evolve in new and exciting ways is something that should be in the mindset of outgoing leaders. This is tough for those that have cared for the organization for a number of years, invested all their lives nurturing its development, and letting-go seemed to be a case of 'midlife crisis.' The question for leaders hanging-on is that: would the organization best served if you continue in your role or when you go? If the answer is, "I don't know." They haven't been doing their homework thinking about accelerating goals. Before you can reach the next mountain, you have to abandon the pretty hills on the way.
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THE DANGER OF A SINGULAR STORY6/22/2020 The recent street protests bring back the requirement to be critical and sober.
Racism is unacceptable and this is not something we should tolerate. We should not tolerate police brutality or use of excessive force especially in law enforcement agencies and institutions who use state force to bring order and stability in societies. We should be vigilant as civil society so that our communities are inclusive and can continue to be prosperous. It seems to be that they force companies now to be political and take sides of the issue. If the companies refuse to do that they start to become nasty and demand boycott or ostracize them in social media. Companies should not even be placed to such position in the first place. Like any corporate citizen, they have the right not to participate in the public square since it's not in their mission to go to that extent. If they do, it's their call. It's never because it is vogue and cool to belong, or suicidal, if otherwise. Blind conformity does not help anybody. What happens here is the lack of constructive dialogue mechanisms so that parties can really talk about issues and put forth concrete measures so that we can see a long-term transformation in our communities. Wrecking building and burning cars do not constitute an acceptable approach to resolving conflicts. Defunding the police is defunding society. Are we going to punish the whole society because we can't be good to each other? There are many angles and issues to this story. It is never just about racism. It is just the tip of the iceberg. There are economic, political, social, cultural, and personal issues that are being played out in the streets. Some are driven by an agenda that do not have any concern for collective well-being. In short, enough of the drama. Let's get down to work on these issues and reform our institutions.
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ISOLATION IS OPTIONAL6/17/2020 We live in challenging times.
It can be more challenging now that there is a complex reopening process that any blueprint is academic. The guidelines in re-open are cautious, preventative, and risk-averse. What it doesn't prohibit is up for many interpretations. Moreover, you are juggling countless things to get the business going again. What you need right now is practical advice that quickly assesses your situation, gives you a couple of options to choose from so that you can rebound with more precision. What you require are pragmatic, creative, and resourceful advice and guidelines. Who do you turn to for that valuable resource? Isolation is optional and so does suffering.
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WORK WITH THE BEST6/15/2020 Counterintuitively, those that are the best and brightest needed more help than you think.
They don't mince words and have the courage to pursue their goals despite and in spite of obstacles. They don't settle for the mediocre-they push the boundaries of the limits that they find themselves in. We can't afford to chase those that are not ready, not willing, and not able to be helped in general. This applies to organizations whose bottom workers cannot and will not be saved with the amount of investments in motivation, retraining, and financial rewards. There are tons of people out there who are already doing amazing work. The people who are depressed, suffering, and immobile have the tendency to wait for enormous amount of time, second-guess their moves, and incoherent about their processes. Help those who are already leading and learning all the time.
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COACHING IS NOT QUANTUM PHYSICS6/10/2020 I heard in many quarters that coaches should be certified for them to get business.
Coaching is not quantum physics. It is about trust and building that trust element so that your interventions could work. It is about your process that you are safeguarding that ensures that objectives are reach, agreed, and monitored for accountability. It is empowering the client to make decisions that will increase their effectiveness in life and in their organizations. Coaching is about behavior change, not a technical training or exercise. There is no need for hifalutin methods and approaches, nor initials to your name to say you are good. If you have helped people by providing practice advice they have used, then you are a coach. Institutions and certification bodies want your money. The clients do not care whether you were trained by a global expert firm or a Harvard School. They only care about this fact-"Can you help them out of their situation?"
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AFRAID OF TOO MUCH RISKS?6/8/2020 There are two kinds of risks: risks you can take and risks that you can't and shouldn't.
We are prone to face risks everyday. When we drive to work everyday, we face risks because bad drivers are out in the road too. When we go to the dentist or massage therapists, we take the necessary risks of getting a bad fill or getting an achy spot. In any decision, it has its own attendant risks. Risks can be mitigated, can be reduced to mere nuisance or annoyance, and can be completely subverted, that there is no way that it becomes an obstacle or a hindrance to an action. We take daily precautions in our COVID-19 life nowadays, actually over-precaution-bordering on paranoia and panic. Organizations must be clear about what risks they can take, risks they can't and shouldn't and risks that are not actually risks-just part of doing business in this new climate. Anything that is described as risks these days are not really risks at all. It is likely fear. The sad fact is that many have been prone to close their doors and windows, turn off their lights and cover themselves with blankets. They treat experts as outsiders that can be carriers. I understand that we live in a litigious society and in this pandemic, everyone is a suspect. But the world continues to move forward. If you don't want to do business, just close the shop instead of making double messages. Where exactly is the danger in remote activities?
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OPPORTUNITIES AWAIT THE BOLD6/3/2020 What can I say? These past few weeks have been hectic. More than that, there are many opportunities that are presenting itself without much effort.
The lockdown and the social distancing have caused a resurgence of the desire to connect at a deeper level, whether it is business or personal, which was never seen before. Speed is everything. Things are moving fast from all directions. People want instant, immediate, almost real-time action and attitude towards approaching challenges and turning them into solutions. There is a plethora of resources and information but what we are seeing is that, business leaders are turning to people they trust and they can work with to get over the humps to get better at adapting to the current climate. Despite the sad prognosis about the economy, Zoom, Fedex, Amazon, Google, Twitter, and other tech companies are laughing their way to the banks. Are you positioning yourself to capture the opportunities this new wave is presenting? It's positioning. What are you doing to ensure that you are top-of-mind and leading the market? It's your actions. What innovations are you doing right now to help ride the crest and come out stronger when things get better? It's your strength. Who do you think you are that makes you the best person to reap success? It's all about mindset
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SLOWING DOWN IS GOING FAST6/1/2020 There is no life and work balance right now. It is all about our life.
Work at home has given a whole new taste of living life not in compartments but in fluidity and delighting in that fluidity. What we learned from the lockdown is really about slowing down. Slowing down enables us to think, reflect, ponder about the most important aspects of our lives and our work. Without the distraction and wasted time of commute and going about our daily lives in mindless chatter and goings-on, we can be more attuned to the people around us, to the ideas that we hear, and we are more receptive and open to change. When we really get connected to our most important essence, we become fully alive and able to become united with our purpose. The obstacle to real greatness is the distractions all around us. Working from home is about controlling our environment and making clear boundaries about what is work and what is home, and enjoying a lot of downtime which is healthy and renewing for our families and for ourselves. This also allows us to be more critical of how much time we really need versus how much we have been expending to get our tasks done. Also, being fully present to accomplish work in our homes means, doing our best and taking off when it's time. Slowing down means being more strategic about our use of time in the context of WFH. The future is not about life and work balance but life balance. |
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