A poor man once found an enormous jewel, one of great value.
As the man was very content with his life, even with his very meager income, he pondered to whom he should give the jewel.
He thought who was most in need and after some deliberation, he decided to give the jewel to the wealthiest merchant in the village.
The merchant was surprised as the man, like many others in the village, was poor and needy.
Yet the man was insistent and said, “Oh dear merchant, it is you who is the poorest, because you lack contentment.”
Much has changed since the beginning of the year. As governments and organizations take new measures to minimize the spread of COVID-19, feelings of disappointment, frustration and even anger are easy to understand.
Yet disappointment, frustration, and anger distance us from the valuable jewel of contentment.
A quiet moment, coffee with a friend, practicing gratitude, and even deliberate deep breathing remind us that the jewel of contentment is at hand when we pay attention.
Share your jewels of contentment with others. When you share, you don’t lose them, you multiply them.
Enjoy your November news2use.
Regards,
Dan
“Relevant & pragmatic ideas, tools and insights to play at your best.”
For You
Choices for Well-Being
Once the day gets rolling, it is difficult to get the quiet moments needed to reset our mindfulness, resilience, and well-being. Early morning sunrise choices are mega-important, as these morning rituals set our emotional patterns for the entire day. Be deliberate about how you spend the first 30 to 60 minutes of the day. Breathe, balance yourself, read, mediate, or think about something pleasant and how you want to carry yourself and show up throughout the day. Likewise, be intentional about your sunset choices or how you close the day. Let go of negativity, recall moments of gratefulness, and take note of what you accomplished. What is the emotion that you go to sleep with? The emotion we go to sleep with is the one we carry through the night and into the new morning.
Mealtime choices. When you nourish yourself, do only this, or do so in the company of colleagues (where possible!), family or friends. Eat slowly, enjoy your food, and this time.
The shift from professional to private life in the evening. Set up a routine or ritual that supports your step out of work and into your personal sphere. Hold an end of work talk with yourself (or imaginary colleagues) and announce the close of the workday (remember to celebrate) and then close it.
Choices for well-being are important, not because of what they help us achieve, but because of what they help us become.
For You & Your Team
Do not let management tools distract you.
Consider the Ansoff Matrix, Balanced Scorecard, Cycle Time Reduction, Competitive Profiling, Engagement Surveys, the Growth Share Matrix, Portfolio Analysis Tools, PEST Analysis, Porter’s Five Forces, SWOT, Reengineering and 360-degree feedback to name a few.
Organizational drama, sometimes called the “Best Management Tool Battle” takes place when people fall in love with their tools and miss what is really happening around them.
When was the last time, in your leadership meeting, people sat in silence, reflecting on what had happened in the past or what was happening at the moment and how you and others could learn from such situations?
Too often the urge to stand out means filling the (potential) reflective space with noisy, business chatter.
Management tools can be helpful and provide a process of analysis, create a common language to face problems, and steer leaders to value added solutions.
Yet do not let tools be a substitute for intentional reflection.
In other words, do not let tools turn you into a fool.
For You, Your Team & Your Business
How can I help you?
Six words that clearly describe your leadership intentions.
At your next management meeting, ask everyone in your leadership team how many times they asked this question to the people that they interacted with.
Leaders enable others to be successful.
How well are you and your leadership colleagues serving those around you?
People, Places & Technology
Seven out of ten organizations believe that learning platforms give them a competitive advantage. One that has attracted my attention is HowNow, an AI-powered learning platform that brings together workplace knowledge as well as the best videos, podcasts, blogs, courses, and webinars to improve employee experiences, eliminate information silos and let people learn when they need it most, when they decide. For more information about HowNow could serve your learning needs, contact Julie Lanzarotti.
Thought for the Day
You cannot stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.
-Merci Victoria