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by Rick Baker
On May 29, 2012
If you have not read Chapter 1 or Chapter 2 then check out the chapters of 'A Book' at this link
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Having completed Chapter 2, you should have a picture in your mind that looks like this:
The picture shows how your feelings are described within a range while you are at work and it shows how you normally feel at work. Check your range to make sure it does not include your absolute best or worst feelings. The intent is to capture how you feel 90-plus% of the time...but not 100%. Stated another way, we want the range to include feelings that have a 90-plus% likelihood of being experienced in the future.
Now, consider the "Low" and "High" ends of the range and the "Norm". Test them for reasonableness.
Focus, one at a time, on the following 3 things:
- Where is your range situated on the Minus10-to-Plus10 Scale?
- How broad is your range?
- Where does your Norm sit within your range?
If you are comfortable with doing it then ask a trusted friend, co-worker or boss to check your range and Norm...do they agree with these 3 aspects of your self-assessment?
When this is done think about how satisfied you are with your Low, your Norm, and your High.
If you are truly satisfied then - terrific.
If your scores do not satisfy you then you have some options.
You could:
- Determine how to become satisfied with your Low, Norm, and High
- Determine how to raise at least one of your Low, Norm, or High
Those are the fundamental choices you should consider.
If you are like most people then you would like to enjoy work more. After all, you are spending a large amount of your waking hours at work...it makes sense to enjoy that time as much as you can. To accomplish that you can reduce the amount and extent of negative feelings or expand the amount and extent of positive feelings.
With your range of feelings established with 'Low' and 'High' points and your feelings 'Norm' established you have benchmarks to help you accomplish those objectives.
by Rick Baker
On Apr 25, 2012
Thought Tweet #463 At work, empowerment is about significance, competence, quality relationships, & positive feelings.
The Thinking Behind The Tweet
If it can't be measured it won't get done. If it can't be defined it can't be measured. So, it behooves us to define empowerment and measure it. Empowering people, that's one way to Inspire People & Grow Profits.
by Rick Baker
On Apr 18, 2012
After reading several 100-year-old self-development classics1, I have concluded there is no room for Passion in the workplace.
I realize that may come across as a contradiction: I have written several articles about Passion in the workplace2.
In presentations, workshops, and one-on-one sessions, I have explained my thinking.
Spirited Leaders uses a Minus10-to-Plus10 Scale to measure feelings.
When we are not feeling good about work we score somewhere between Minus10 and Zero...Minus10 being this is absolutely the worst I have ever felt in my life and Zero being neutral [not bad, not good, just ambivalence].
When we are feeling good about work we score between Zero and Plus10. In the past, I have said:
- a score from Plus1 to Plus4 means we Accept our work. At Plus1 we Tolerate work...don't have much good things to say about it...but, it is bearable and better than doing nothing. As we approach a score of Plus4 we experience increased positive feelings about work.
- a score of Plus4 to Plus7 means we Enjoy our work. We consider our work-time as time well spent and we feel our work-activities are productive.
- a score of Plus7 to Plus10 means we are Enthusiastic about our work. In this range, our work is an important part of our lives. As we approach Plus10 we feel our work is aligned with our life purpose. And - a score of Plus10 means Passion...as in Passion for Work Excellence.
Now, I say all of that except I will not use the word 'Passion' to describe Plus10. Instead, I will say a score of Plus10 means work is 'Completely Aligned with Life Purpose' or, using a more modern phrase, work is 'In The Zone'.
I will not use the word 'Passion' because I now believe Passion is the wrong word. Passion is an inflamed emotional state. It does not fit with work. In fact, it is damaging at work. If we see Passion at work then it will likely be a symptom of unbridled, excessive, optimism or mania...both of which are damaging indeed!
I will use descriptions like 'Completely Aligned with Life Purpose' and 'In The Zone' because they accurately describe how the best feelings of work happen and how we can recognize those feelings.
NOTE: During our workdays, none of us can expect to sustain a score of Plus10. However, almost all of us can feel Plus10 from time to time and feel at least Plus7 most of the time.
Footnotes:
- Particularly, the works of Robert Collier and the works of James Allen.
- Articles about Passion in the workplace: one, two three, four, five
by Rick Baker
On Apr 11, 2012
Yesterday, I introduced a simple tool Edward de Bono provided to help people develop the ability to Pay Attention. The tool was called PMI.
In summary:
PMI (Plus-Minus-Interesting)1
You can develop your faculty of ATTENTION by taking the time to focus on 3 things:
- the Plus aspects of the situation
- the Minus aspects of the situation
- the Interesting aspects of the situation
I recommend we take this Edward de Bono tool a step farther.
For us, the word Process is a synonym of the word System, when both words are taken in the broadest context.
A definition of the word, 'System' and what we mean when we use the word 'Process':
“A system is just an arrangement of circumstances that makes things happen in a certain way. The circumstances may be metal grids, electronic components, warm bodies, rules and regulations or anything else. In each case what actually happens is determined by the nature of the system.”
“The brain is a system in which things happen according to the nature of the system. What happens in the brain is information. And the way it happens is thinking.”
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Minus |
Interesting |
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You can use this little table, a 1-Page Tool, to develop your Attention skill:
- it can be used to develop the skill of Attention by focusing on Situations [as de Bono taught in 'Water Logic', (1991)]
- it can be used to develop the skill of Attention by focusing on People [the #1 thing Spirited Leaders recommends]
- it can be used to develop the skill of Attention be focusing on Processes [also known as Systems]
Processes/Systems have 4 major categories:
- things that happen in our brain [as de Bono describes in the quote above],
- interactions between People,
- Man-made Processes/Systems [as examples: nmanufacturing processes and accounting systems], and
- Processes/Systems of Nature and the Cosmos.
To be more specific about the 'People' uses of this 1-Page Tool:
- self-analysis and self-development [introspection and creative-thinking progress]
- conflict resolution [a person-to-person application]
- getting present
More on this topic of Attention in future future Thought Posts...
Footnote:
by Rick Baker
On Mar 16, 2012
Thought Tweet #435 On a Minus10-to-Plus10 Scale, how much do you like People?
The Thinking Behind The Tweet
On this topic, that is not the most important question. The most-important question is: when it comes to liking People, how are you trending? Is your 'liking of People' increasing, decreasing, or status quo? And...Why?
Business Contains Only 3 Things: People, Process, & Situations
People Do Only 3 Things: Good Habits, Bad Habits, & New Things
by Rick Baker
On Mar 6, 2012
First of all, I believe we all understand we cannot manage time. We cannot slow down clocks or speed them up...the ticking of the clocks was agreed upon and set by our scientific forefathers long before we were born.
We can, however, manage our thoughts and our actions. We can manage the energy consumed by our thoughts and actions.
Managing our energy, that's an important thing to do.
I don't think too many people would argue with that last point.
Manage your energy!
That's good advice.
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Related to managing your energy, here are some questions to consider.
Per day, on average, how much time do you spend:
- 100% concentrating/focusing on a single task?
- concentrating on a single task, as best you can, while being interrupted by people, thoughts, noises, etc?
- multi-tasking?
- stewing about things that happened in the past?
- being annoyed by things other people do?
- being instructed by people who have authority over you?
- giving instructions to people who follow you?
- worrying about things that could happen in the future?
- getting present?
- meditating?
- thinking or saying - "There are not enough hours in the day"?
- learning how to focus and concentrate?
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You have energy.
You can only use it 2 ways:
- Thinking
- Acting
The next level of detail...
You can only use your energy 4 ways:
- Thinking in a manner that aligns with your Goals
- Thinking in a manner that does not align with your Goals
- Acting in a manner that aligns with your Goals.
- Acting in a manner that does not align with your Goals.
These apply regardless of how clear or how fuzzy your Goals may be.
These are the 4 ways you use your energy.
These are the 4 ways you spend your time.
You can, by doing #1, choose the right 'balance' of these 4 ways...
...or you can not do that.
To the extent you choose and do #1 you can maximize #3, make the best use of your energy, and spend your time in a way you define as - well.... as in time well spent.
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Really, what would you rather say...
"That was time well spent."
or
"There are not enough hours in the day."
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