Author: Eric

More Shedding of My Corporate Skin

Sshedding Skin

As I make my way through my 30 Day Breakthrough Plan, I thought I would embrace some more transparency.  Here are some things you might not know about me:

 

  1. I have been a musician for over 30 years
  2. I have had Type I diabetes for over 20 years
  3. I once stated that working for a bank was the ultimate sell-out
  4. I have been married for 20 years
  5. Miles Davis's music was a constant source of finding my muse when writing my first book
  6. I would do what I do for free
  7. I underestimated the impact of my dad's passing-the good and the bad

 

Real Collaboration

I had a chance to take a sneak peek at a documentary on Nile Rodgers a few weeks back. It was nicely done, even though it was in Japanese. It really didn't phase me because much of the dialog was from Nile. The short can be viewed here.

It might seem an obvious that collaboration and music go together.  And as someone who is a musician, I would agree that often the two go hand-in-hand.  But what about the rest of the spheres of life and work?  Not so much.  There was one scene where I found myself thinking"that's it."  Nile was working with a group around the production of a Broadway musical he created called Double Time.  If you check-out the clip you'll know what I'm referring to.  But I was struck by the group's dynamics.  There were a few musicians, a vocal ensemble, directors/producers, and Nile.  Each of these folks were doing there work individually and collectively.  One thing was clear, they were moving toward the goal of a great performance.  And isn't great performance what we want?

Have you found some form of collaboration that leads you to a great performance?

In your career experience you may not have found it.  And many never do.  Part of the problem arises in organizational health and our own misplaced priorities.  We don't fully understand how collaboration works and how to get the most from it.  Ironically, you might be involved in it and not even recognize it.  You have to look for it.  You have to want it.  The tragedy is found in those who just do it and don't think anymore about it.  Routine, habit, monotony are keywords here.

Your career should be about more than salary, benefits and MBOs.

I really believe our best and greatest work comes when we collaborate.  It's a key way to leave your fingerprint on this motion picture called "life."  But as with all brilliant things, there are the enemies and the threats.  Let's review a few:

Money and the Desire to Get More-this one is manifested when our endeavors are rooted in making money first.  The emphasis is on the word first.  Making money is not a bad thing, unless it is at the top of the list.  Greed.

Self-Centered Leaders-these folks have no interest in anyone or any endeavor other than themselves.  These types of leaders may mask it, smooth it or even lie about.  Their mission is to be King or Queen-first and last.

Our Fear-We all bear some responsibility for the collapse of collaboration.  We fear so much and find ourselves unwilling to be vulnerable.  I don't need to tell you what a killer fear is.  Collaboration is sabotaged when we are insecure and doubt our place at the table.

I have felt most alive when I've been involved in the art and science of real collaboration.

You Don’t Want What the One-Percent Have

Dollar

With all due respect to the Occupy Wall Streetcrowd, you don't want what the one-percent have.  Our country is so fixated on material wealth.  Ironic, since it's that same type of wealth responsible for our ills (at least the majority).  Material wealth is not the problem.  Material wealth can be a good thing if you know how to manage it.  Sadly, most do not.  As the old saying goes, "we have seen the enemy, and the enemy is us."

If we stopped for a moment and took a look at the well-being of the one-percent, we might be shocked at what their true wealth is.

I am not advocating poverty.  I don't want any family to do without.  But I do want you to be wealthy beyond measure with your relationship with your family. with God, with your physical health, and more.

The one-percent are to be pitied, not envied.

Counting All the Bees in the Hive

Sometimes life is this simple:

Christopher Robin and I walked along
Under branches lit up by the moon
Posing our questions to Owl and Eeyore
As our days disappeared all too soon
But I've wandered much further today than I should
And I can't seem to find my way back to the Wood

So help me if you can
I've got to get back
To the House at Pooh Corner by one
You'd be surprised
There's so much to be done
Count all the bees in the hive
Chase all the clouds from the sky
Back to the days of Christopher Robin and Pooh

Winnie the Pooh doesn't know what to do
Got a honey jar stuck on his nose
He came to me asking help and advice
From here no one knows where he goes
So I sent him to ask of the Owl if he's there
How to loosen a jar from the nose of a bear

Help me if you can
I've got to get back
To the House at Pooh Corner by one
You'd be surprised
There's so much to be done
Count all the bees in the hive
Chase all the clouds from the sky
Back to the days of Christopher Robin and Pooh

It's hard to explain how a few precious things
Seem to follow throughout all our lives
After all's said and done I was watching my son
Sleeping there with my bear by his side
So I tucked him in, I kissed him and as I was going
I swear that the old bear whispered "Boy welcome home"

Believe me if you can
I've finally come back
To the House at Pooh Corner by one
What do you know
There's so much to be done
Count all the bees in the hive
Chase all the clouds from the sky
Back to the days of Christopher Robin
Back to the ways of Christopher Robin
Back to the days of Pooh

Lyrics by Kenny Loggins

Looking Past the Transaction

Rare is the organization that can look past the transaction.  Often, they're so fixiated on sales and sales forecasts.  The better idea here is found in the faith-based (not speaking about religion) approach to selling and relationship-building.  The belief in your product or service in such a way as to having faith that it will solve a problem or create a desired breakthrough.

This is tough work and it requires a steadfast reliance on the mission.  A career, a transaction-based business model or protecting market share will never do.

So the next time you look at that client or prospective client, do you see a transaction that benefits your business model?  I hope not.  You should see someone who has a problem you can solve and a relationship to be built.  There's no substitute for the latter.

The 30 Day Breakthrough Experience and Me

Runner

Last week I had the honor and privilege to take a group of people through the Take Time for Your Life 30 Day Breakthrough Plan.  We held the workshop part of the experience at a place called Sparkspace, which I highly recommend in a multitude of ways.  The second part of the experience for each person who attended is happening now and onto the achieving of a small goal in the next 30 days.

Without a doubt, I was inspired by the attendees last week.  But I've embarked on a 30 day breakthrough plan myself.  Somehow this makes the process much richer for me.  It moves me as a learner and as a facilitator.

I understand you might not be able to fully grasp what our 30 Day experience looks like if you haven't gone through the program, so see our page on Total Life Management to gain more understanding and learn what others experienced as well.

Now for the vulnerability part:

I have set a 30 day goal is to improve my approach and presentation with prospective clients of Epic Living.  I will do this by engaging them with my heart first and my head second.  I will measure this by having a trusted advisor/coach attend 2 business engagements with me to observe my presentations.  I will also provide examples of heart approaches versus head approaches for that advisor/coach.  Doing this will help me achieve my big goal of improving Epic Living's (Me) mission performance in the next 90-180 days.

The importance of me sharing this subject with you is to help me (hopefully you too) find a breakthrough.  If you're a subscriber reading this, a person who has attended an event where I was the speaker, a participant in a workshop I facilitated or some other connection, you know my sincerity and heart delivery.  My block has been with those who are not currently engaged with me.  In those settings I have, mistakenly, led with my head.  Translated, I've used old approaches designed to induce credibility and a corporatey persona.  In the spirit of giving me a greater chance to speak from the heart.  As you can imagine, that way of doing things feels awkward, canned and like I'm wearing another man's coat. 

So why did I choose this approach?  Fear.  Fear of not making the connection, mostly.  I won't drone on here because I now proceed to courage and doing someithing about the block.  In many ways this is a breakthrough unto itself.