Monthly Archives: December 2009

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What Magazine Will Have Your Picture on the Cover in 2010?

This year Ellen fulfilled a goal of getting on the cover of O Magazine.  Only one other person has shared the cover with Oprah.  It was an outrageous dream and goal for Ellen but she isn’t known for holding back when pursuing a goal.  She did what she had to do to make it happen and it happened – in a big way.

I’m thinking about my goals for 2010.  I’ve got some that seem like a stretch but nothing really outrageous. I’d like to be a little more out there.

Would you like to have your picture on a magazine in 2010?  Or maybe you want to have it on the back cover of a book you are writing?  Or maybe you would like to be on the front page of a newspaper.  I had a friend get a cover story on a major newspaper just last week – her first for that newspaper.

Be outrageous. Set a crazy goal for 2010.  Something bigger than losing ten pounds.  Something unthinkable and then commit to making it happen.

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Another Conversation with Myself

In the book The Noticer by Andy Andrews, the main character, Jones, suggests to a couple of people he encounters that they ask themselves this question every day: “What is it about me that other people would change if they could?” That’s a brave question in my estimation. It takes 360 performance reviews to a different level.

It makes me a little nervous to even consider honestly asking that question. What would other people change about me if they could? This is not an invitation to comment your answer to that question!

Jones suggests variations on the topic. What is it about the way I talk that other people would change, What is it about the way I dress that other people would change, What is it about the I act that other people would change? I am asking myself this question as we head into 2010. What is it about me that other people would change if they could? What is it about YOU that other people would change if they could?

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What’s more important?

“When the outcome drives the process we only go to where we’ve already been.

If process drives the outcome we may not know where we are going, but we will know we want to be there.” -#3 An Incomplete Manifesto for Growth, Bruce Mau

This has been on my mind for the last few weeks.  It’s a hard lesson of leadership and of life that I’m watching play out in my world.  It is the missed opportunity that takes place when the outcome becomes more important than the process.

I’ve done a lot of ‘gap analysis’ type thinking in my life and in my profession.  The general approach is to think about where you want to be (what’s the ideal), look at where you are (reality) and then put together a plan to get there based on weaknesses and strengths.

I’m wondering if this is always the best approach.  It often not only informs the process we take but also dictates it.  I think it largely depends on the system we are operating in.  If it is a healthy system with lots of trust and open communication perhaps we have a good shot at crafting a plan that will get us to a better place.

If like most organizations we have issues and dysfunctions then who decides what the outcome looks like is often those who have an agenda or are looking only at part of the picture. Without hearing all the voices and considering the systemic issues in the organization we may blindly latch on to an outcome that is a short term solution. And when we cut out certain voices because we think we know better we are on shaky ground.

We need some strong systems thinking in organizations. We need good conversations with all the key players – not just those with an agenda.  And if we aren’t willing to pursue a process that includes those difficult conversations and laying aside our own egos then we shouldn’t be surprised when we end up where we’ve already been.

What do you think? Is process more important than outcome?

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Most Inspiring Book of 2009?

Do you spend much time in reflection?  Not just on the big stuff of life but on the experiences you have had, the way you have spent your time and the lessons you have learned along the way.  It is a good way to learn, in fact, it is a critical part of learning.

Experience, reflection, generalization and action are all part of the learning cycle.   Of course, experience draws us in a lot easier than reflection.  And action?  Does that involve change?  That can be unsettling.

So, how about taking some baby steps in reflection?  What book inspired you the most in 2010?  What was it that inspired you? What principles were you able to pull out and use in your life?  And what action did you take as a result?

You might want to keep the last questions private.  However, if a book has inspired you enough to take action I’d love to hear about it!

I’ll let you know mine after some reflection!