Ideas Enacted

The Trust Test

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 11:57:39 -0500

I’m reading Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn Trust by Brogan and Smith. Good book. One of the usable ideas I’ve gleaned so far is this:

(C x R x I)/S = Trust

C = Credibility: Does my communication show that I am who I claim to be?
R = Reliability: Am I there on time with consistency?
I = Intimacy: Do people feel comfortable around me?
S = Self-orientation: Is it all about me or others?

2010 Growth Plan

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 07:03:00 -0500

Here are the ways I plan to grow in 2010:

> Read five books & attend one conference about international community development

> Join a board or get involved with a local community organization that serves the HIV/AIDS Community

> Do a study of the Biblical perspective on community development and enabling people to escape poverty

> Continue to build my mentoring group(s)

> Get to know every person who works in my building

> Establish more consistency with our family discussions

> Eat lower sugar, dairy, meat, and avoid caffeine

"You need democracy in decision making and dictatorship in implementation."

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 15:02:30 -0500

“You need democracy in decision making and dictatorship in implementation.”

- Ichak Adizes

"We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them."

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 13:09:11 -0500

““We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.””

- Albert Einstien

What You Know Can Hurt You

Sat, 05 Dec 2009 23:27:36 -0500

What You Know Can Hurt You:

When approaching a problem go with a totally empty head. Do not assume anything. Let the problem “talk to you”. The problem, if you approach it totally unbiased, will actually present itself to you. It becomes clear by itself. Just be OPEN MINDED.

Introverted Leadership

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 20:23:18 -0500

Introverted Leadership:

I can identify with this article. Although I’m on E on the Myer’s-Briggs, I feel like I’m really more of an introverted person. This article has good observations about how introverts lead in an organizational setting.

Winning Within Boundaries

Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:52:41 -0500

Winning Within Boundaries:

This is a good thought from Seth Godin: “Other people, some just as successful, take a hard look at the boundaries and create something that plays within, that follows the rules, but that is likely to win because of this.”

Workflow Diagram from GTD

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:01:00 -0500

Workflow Diagram from GTD:

I’m showing a few folks the keys to managing the inflow of information (email, decisions to be made, communication, etc) and found this PDF summary of the Getting Things Done approach to help. Nice one-pager.

Choose what to work on, ignore the rest

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:35:00 -0500

Choose what to work on, ignore the rest:

Great blog post on how feasible it is to spend time focused on what matters so that you control life, not the opposite.

Six Steps I'm Adding to my Daily Ritual

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 00:12:00 -0400

I’m reading The Power of Full Engagement right now - it’s good. It delves into the idea that energy should be managed as a renewable resource. I’ve made some great strides the past 2-3 years to get into better shape, but as a result of what I’m reading here I’m going to take these additional steps:

Eat whole grains, proteins, and low-glycemic foods for breakfast
Eat snacks of nuts, sunflower seeds, apples, etc between meals
Drink 64 ounces of water every day
Switch to decaffeinated coffee
Get one more hour of sleep each night (from 6 to 7)
Take a renewing break from work every 60-90 minutes

I’ll let you know how it helps me!

Seven Fundamentals of Leadership

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 10:44:00 -0400

Seven Fundamentals of Leadership:

The further down the road of leadership I go, the more I believe that leading successfully is about applying the wisdom of experience to a small set of basic habits and principles of leadership. This article explains some of those basic ideas very well - excellent article.

"There’s nothing better than being wise, knowing how to interpret the meaning of life. Wisdom..."

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 07:08:38 -0400

“There’s nothing better than being wise, knowing how to interpret the meaning of life. Wisdom puts light in the eyes, and gives gentleness to words and manners.”

- Ecclesiastes 8:1

"Dump all your previously-assumed projects & actions. Create a fresh list. What’s now..."

Sun, 23 Aug 2009 22:02:15 -0400

“Dump all your previously-assumed projects & actions. Create a fresh list. What’s now current & real?”

- Good advice headed into Monday from @gtdguy

"I believe you can measure your life by the people who measure their life by yours."

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 18:53:00 -0400

“I believe you can measure your life by the people who measure their life by yours.”

- Carter in The Bucket List

"I am so impressed with the potential you see in me."

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:08:40 -0400

“I am so impressed with the potential you see in me.”

- Michael Scott to his boss

"Boasting is the response of pride to success. Self-pity is the response of pride to failure."

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 07:46:15 -0400

“Boasting is the response of pride to success. Self-pity is the response of pride to failure.”

- John Piper

Relevance: New Insights on Strategy

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 14:50:00 -0400

I just finished the book Relevance by David Apgar. It’s a heady read but after plowing through it I think Apgar lays out some pretty insightful and down-to-earth ideas that I can put to use.

The essence of the book is this: strategy should be more about clarifying and testing assumptions and perhaps less about tactics and execution. Making this shift, argues Apgar, is what enables an organization to learn over time and get better.

Here’s one quote: “Learning from experience requires three things: the development of performance strategies explicit enough to be testable, the derivation of performance indicators from the assumptions behind those strategies, and the use of performance results to reveal errors in goals and assumptions as well as execution.” (Page 11)

I’ve modified Apgar’s ideas and changed some of the terminology to fit the style in which I like to work and put them into a one-page summary if you’re interested in how I’m applying the ideas.

"Can you maintain faith in God when there is no evidence of His activity in your life, family,..."

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 11:46:15 -0400

“Can you maintain faith in God when there is no evidence of His activity in your life, family, culture, and the world? Your answer to that question determines the way you’ll respond to the uncertainty in the world today.”

- Andy Stanley from his OnePrayer message

"When an organization grows beyond its ability to fill its key seats with the right people, it has..."

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 01:07:00 -0400

“When an organization grows beyond its ability to fill its key seats with the right people, it has set itself up for a fall. Although complacency and resistance to change remain dangers to any successful enterprise, overreaching better captures how the mighty fall.”

- Jim Collins in How the Mighty Fall

"Fire yourself on Friday night and come in on Monday morning as if a search firm put you there as a..."

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 01:06:00 -0400

“Fire yourself on Friday night and come in on Monday morning as if a search firm put you there as a turnaround leader. Can you be objective and make the bold change? If you can’t then you need to reinvent yourself.”

- Andrea Jung in USA Today 6/15/2009