Authenticity

The horse race

/ Jeff Hora / 1 Comment
Animated sequence of a race horse galloping. P...

Animated sequence of a race horse galloping. Photos taken by Eadweard Muybridge (died 1904), first published in 1887 at Philadelphia (Animal Locomotion). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I was recently discussing the pros and cons of various personnel review and commitment systems/styles with a close colleague of mine. She was saying something like, “It’s just like a horse race.  One year you put your all into the race and win.  The next year you put just as much effort and work into the race as the year before, if not more, and nine others finish ahead of you.”  The implication is that this gives the folks putting on the race the impetus to……what? Give last year’s horse sugar for running a great race? Trying the horse at different races? Retiring the horse to pasture?

It seems that the climate in many organizations implies a future involving a glue factory.  Why is this?

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It’s never just business

/ Jeff Hora / 8 Comments

You’ve heard it before…

You’re in a meeting and someone is presenting an idea or proposal that they’ve placed an enormous amount of time and effort into.  This is their BABY. It’s obvious they’ve done some research, talked to some experts and influencers.  They got the data, did the analysis and did all the right things.  There are some gaps, maybe…..perhaps a blind sport or two.  Then it happens:

“What about XXX!?” (XXX = name of gap or blind spot goes here)

“That’s just obvious!” “How could you miss that?!” “Well, that’s no good…” “You’ll have to do better than that to convince me!” “We just need smarter people on this, apparently!” [Yes, I’ve heard that in meetings…]

“Don’t take it personally….it’s just business.”

I’m sorry, no.  It’s never just business.

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Measure the glue–continued

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Measuring time

Image by aussiegall via Flickr

In my earlier post about the “glue” of collaboration, I spent the time describing the area of discussion and none about the actual measurement.  That wasn’t exactly by design, as much as it was a realization that measuring collaboration means establishing some ground rules and accepting some risks and vagueness.

The ground rules are both simple and tough. Define what it is you’re trying to measure.  I’m involved with that right now on my team and it is not easy.  Objective measurement, as well as methodology, of collaboration and/or teamwork means setting up scales, deliverables, degrees of importance or weight (“So, was that assist worth a 5 or a 7?” and what does that mean?).  There’s also the issue of whether this measurement applies to the group or to individuals and how you measure individual collaboration in a way that reduces the ability to game the system (“I’ll give you a +5 in the assessment if you give me one as well.”).  Messy stuff….

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Measure the glue–continued

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Measuring time

Image by aussiegall via Flickr

In my earlier post about the “glue” of collaboration, I spent the time describing the area of discussion and none about the actual measurement.  That wasn’t exactly by design, as much as it was a realization that measuring collaboration means establishing some ground rules and accepting some risks and vagueness.

The ground rules are both simple and tough. Define what it is you’re trying to measure.  I’m involved with that right now on my team and it is not easy.  Objective measurement, as well as methodology, of collaboration and/or teamwork means setting up scales, deliverables, degrees of importance or weight (“So, was that assist worth a 5 or a 7?” and what does that mean?).  There’s also the issue of whether this measurement applies to the group or to individuals and how you measure individual collaboration in a way that reduces the ability to game the system (“I’ll give you a +5 in the assessment if you give me one as well.”).  Messy stuff….

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Focus

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St Anthony the Great

Image via Wikipedia

I have a quote on the white board in my office.  It is attributed to Abba Anthony, one of the Desert Fathers of Christian history.  It is, “Do what you are doing.”  This is my own challenge and one I put to you as well.

To accomplish this, you must not dwell in the past (although you can and should learn from it).  You must not obsess about the future (you have no real way to control it, so this is pointless).  The only moment you really have is this one (there it goes….).

This moment is not entirely yours, as you share it with all creation.  However, the piece of it of which you are a part is important, as in this moment you can focus on the task at hand, make it good, make it worthwhile, create, enable and assist.  Without your critical contribution in this moment, the lessons of the past come to nothing and the future is dimmer.

Focus.  Do what you are doing.

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The measure of glue

/ Jeff Hora / 1 Comment
Adhesives, Nitrocellulose adhesives

Image via Wikipedia

I’ve been in a number of discussions, both “official” and over the proverbial pint, about the things that help groups of people actually do things worthwhile.  A very close colleague of mine told me that, in turning over a spreadsheet listing the things that she does everyday to her manager, he said, “It seems you only work about 15 hours a week!”  While being completely wrong, his comment points out something that is devilishly difficult to measure and enumerate on paper: the innumerable small-ish things she does that keep her team moving forward and meshing well.  I’ll call it “glue”, for lack of a better term.

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Open the Box–Steering Wheel

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Steering Wheel

Image via Wikipedia

I opened the box today and found a steering wheel. My attention involuntarily went to the whole “direction of your team/business” kind of attention hole. After climbing out of that one and spending a little more time looking at this particular steering wheel, I realized there is a higher meaning here. It has to do with responsibility. This responsibility is both visionary and of the moment.

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Open the Box–Steering Wheel

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Steering Wheel

Image via Wikipedia

I opened the box today and found a steering wheel. My attention involuntarily went to the whole “direction of your team/business” kind of attention hole. After climbing out of that one and spending a little more time looking at this particular steering wheel, I realized there is a higher meaning here. It has to do with responsibility. This responsibility is both visionary and of the moment.

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People and Contacts

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Illustration showing fashion throughout the ce...

Image via Wikipedia

I’ve been reading a lot online and in various articles and books lately about the balance of online and offline relationships, as well as the greater understanding of the actual concerns and lives of people.  I know it sounds broad and perhaps a bit vague, but let me provide some clarification and get to what I’m thinking.

Earlier, Tac Anderson wrote a post about the value of actually getting out from behind the desk and connecting with people.  I see a couple of energies at work here.

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Open the Box–Wood Floors

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Timber Floors Pty Ltd - Forest Reds

Image by timber_floors via Flickr

I opened the box today and found hard wood floors..in boxes…with guys and their tools ready to start installing it all.

This has been my life this week.  My family and 4 cats have voluntarily relegated ourselves to a couple of large connected rooms (mostly to keep the cats out of the flooring stuff) in the evenings, and the cats are there during the work day (plenty of food, water, toys, and, heaven help us all, litter…).  It’s not comfortable and we’re all dearly looking forward to when (hopefully late this afternoon) they will be done, do the final sweep up, and we can reassemble our normal lives.

So, beyond the obvious, I started to think about what this evolution has entailed and what else I can learn from it.  Here’s what I have so far…

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