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Name of author Rick Baker, P.Eng.

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No more racking our brains

by Rick Baker
On Dec 7, 2012

From time to time, we all do it. We rack our brains. We mull over the facts, the people, the situation, and the opportunity at hand...or the problem at hand. Time passes and, still, we see no real clarity and we find no solution. It's not that we are indecisive. We just don't have the experience or perhaps it's knowledge of the facts. Or we cannot get comfortable about the possible outcomes or actions and changes. Regardless, we are not comfortable making the decision. So, we are racking our brains.

When that happens, wouldn't it be nice if we had a proven way to stop racking our brains.

Here's a suggestion: ask a string of questions, focusing on each question and writing a simple & clear answer to each question before moving to the next question.

Questions:

  1. About People: who is involved in the situation?
  2. About People: why are these people involved in the situation?
  3. About Process: what key tasks are involved?
  4. About Process: when, where, and how are the tasks being done?
  5. About People & Process: who is doing each task and why? And how?
  6. About Process: what could change for the better?
  7. About People: how will the people react to these Process changes for the better?

After writing the answers, set the facts and the decision aside...let it simmer...then a good decision will pop into your mind.

 

 

Tags:

Brain: about the Human Brain | Solutions & Opportunities

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Thought Tweet #624

by Rick Baker
On Dec 6, 2012

Thought Tweet #624 When business leaders can step aside, understand their challenges, and express them without bias...solutions are at hand.

 

The Thinking Behind The Tweet

When you are in the heat of day-to-day business work, leadership work, it seems difficult to free up the time to be objective...to step aside and consider the situation in an unbiased way. Regardless, this needs to be done if challenges are to be kept in context and understood. And, these are the first steps toward taking significant business-growth steps.

Tags:

I'm too busy! - I don't have time! | Solutions & Opportunities | Thought Tweets

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Getting process right - how important is that?

by Rick Baker
On Dec 6, 2012

Work Process is made up of 2 things:

  • links of tasks done by people
  • links of tasks done by technology, designed by people

The Purpose of Work Process: to systematize and automate work tasks.

Isn't that a straightforward and simple enough concept?

Yes.

Work Process is straightforward and simple when you place it in writing.

But not always...

Work Process often becomes confused and complicated when we put it into action. 

When we put Work Process into action we find conflicting views and approaches to things like:

  • Who should do those tasks and why? Why me? and What's in it for me?
  • How do we improve that process? Why should we improve that process?
  • We need to do more of that process! You need to do more of that process!
How do we sort out those conflicts?
 
There are 7 critical steps:
  1. Ensure your work process is understood: ensure all work tasks are clear and ensure the linkage of the work tasks [the work flow] is clear.
  2. Ensure your work process actually works: that is, ensure the linkage of tasks of work process achieves the results you desire. Test cause and effect on an ongoing basis.
  3. Capture your work process in writing: work-flow picture & descriptions, role descriptions, etc.
  4. Match your peoples' individual/personal strengths with their roles. 
  5. Make a habit of asking your people questions about process and how they feel while doing their work-process tasks.
  6. Listen.
  7. Make the necessary adjustments to ensure your work process and your people are in synch.
 

Tags:

Business Contains Only 3 Things | Emotions & Feelings @ Work | Questions?: The Art of Asking Good Questions | STRENGTHS: People-Focused for Success

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Thought Tweet #623

by Rick Baker
On Dec 5, 2012

Thought Tweet #623 When it comes to your work - Who mentors and coaches you? How does that happen?

 

The Thinking Behind The Tweet

The best athletes have mentors and coaches.

The best musicians have mentors and coaches.

The best artists have mentors and coaches.

Who mentors and coaches you?

Tags:

Questions?: The Art of Asking Good Questions | Thought Tweets

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Thought Tweet #622

by Rick Baker
On Dec 4, 2012

Thought Tweet #622 When it comes to your work - What do you practice? How much do you practice?

 

The Thinking Behind The Tweet

The best athletes practice.

The best musicians practice.

The best artists practice.

What do you practice?

Tags:

Questions?: The Art of Asking Good Questions | STRENGTHS: People-Focused for Success | Thought Tweets

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Are you positively charged?

by Rick Baker
On Dec 4, 2012

Spirited Leaders has a colour code:

Green = Good

Red = Bad

Blue = New

Orange = Creative

Gray = Neutral or Undetermined

 

We use a Minus10-to-Plus10 Scale to describe a spectrum of feelings:

 Sheer Bliss: Plus10

Enthusiasm Zone: Plus7 to Plus9

Enjoyment Zone: Plus4 to Plus7

Acceptance Zone: Plus1 to Plus4

Ho-Hum: 0

Uncomfortable Zone: Minus1 to Minus4

Distress Zone: Minus4 to Minus7
  
Excruciation Zone: Minus7 to Minus9
 
Absolutely Unbearable: Minus10

 

We believe people only do three things: Good Habits, Bad Habits, & New Things:

Good work habits, work enjoyment, and work enthusiasm...all are positively charged.

Related to this there are specific positive and negative emotions, emotions are coloured.

We know words are also positively and negatively charged. As examples:

CAN    CAN'T

YES    NO

AND    BUT

CERTAINLY    PERHAPS

GO    STOP

ENCOURAGE    CRITICIZE

When we go to work, we have a number of choices to make about how we feel, think, and act.

Some of those choices are positively charged.

Some of those choices are negatively charged.

When choices are to be made...we recommend, changing for the better.

Tags:

Change: Creating Positive Change | Emotions & Feelings @ Work | Habits: Good Habits, Bad Habits, & New Things

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