I met Karen in first grade, and she quickly became my best friend. I remember being so excited every time we got the chance to play together, and I remember how much I hated it when one of us had to go home. I wanted Karen to be a part of everything I did: swimming, dancing, playing tag and hide-and-go-seek. At times when we weren’t allowed to play together, it though the world was about to end. It seemed as if I would we never be able to play Barbies again! When I went off to college and joined a sorority, I felt the same way about my new sisters. New member education was new, exciting, and always fun! I attended every single activity and wanted to be on every possible committee. I signed up for everything, and if I was unable to attend, it felt as if my world had ended. Just like my friendship with Karen, I was thrilled about becoming involved with a group of sisters that would be a major part of my life forever.
What's Your Squirrel?
I have a dog named Snickers. She’s a 50-pound labradoodle that we adopted 4 years ago. She’s the first dog that I can remember owning. My parents had a Siberian Husky – a wrecking ball of fuzz – when I was a young child. I never really knew him, but I do remember that he ingested half of our bathroom door. I’m not sure why my parents expected more out of a dog they named “Goober.” Snickers is a lovely dog. She has her quirks and bad habits. She likes to express her jubilance at meeting new people by either (a) jumping up on them or (b) peeing on the floor. She also likes to chew up plastic hangers. A couple each day – or about a pack a week.
Respect My Authoritah!
"They have to respect us!” This phrase comes up time after time when we are coaching fraternity and sorority leaders on how to improve their new member education programs. They insist that ‘respect from new members’ be listed as one of the goals. Every time I hear this, the voice of Eric Cartman starts shouting in the back of my head, “Respect My Authoritah!” For those who may not remember, here is a refresher: In season 2, Cartman becomes the sheriff of South Park. Despite constant efforts to be taken seriously, no one gives him the respect that he believes he deserves. In one scene, Cartman rides up on his big-wheel, pulls over his friend Stan’s dad (who was driving the speed limit), and begins challenging him:
Get Them Off the Couch!
I like my couch. It's comfortable. It's familiar. If it were possible, I could lay there for weeks at a time. It's in exactly the right spot in my living room, and everything I need is at my fingertips: my Chex-mix, my drink, and the remote control. At some point, though, it will be time to snap into action. There's no question: work needs to be done - I need to move - I'll be happier later for getting up now. But there are a million forces sucking me back down. There are only 15 minutes left in this show. My head hurts. I'll have time to do that later. There's another episode of Jersey Shore on next.
Get Off the Talent Bus
In a recent Made to Stick column in FastCompany magazine, Chip Heath and Dan Heath challenged the ‘Talent Bus’ metaphor – the idea that your goal as a leader is to recruit talented people, get them in the right seats, and drop off the slackers at the next stop. Using research from Harvard Business professor Boris Groysberg, they show us that this talent/no-talent dichotomy doesn’t exactly translate into reality. Groysberg studied highly talented Wall Street analysts, and learned that their performance often suffers after switching to a new firm. Despite their individual abilities, they were trumped by the culture, systems and support available in the new environment. In other words, even the most talented passengers can’t go very far if they’re on a broken-down bus.
Learning to Win
After a 44 year absence, the North Korean soccer team finally returned to the World Cup in 2010, only to lose three games in a row and return home. This is a crushing story for the country, but it is also to be expected for any team’s first appearance in a major tournament. Unfortunately, officials in North Korea didn’t see the same silver lining. According to a story on ESPN today, “The team and coach Kim Jong-Hun were summoned to a July 2, six-hour meeting at the People's Palace of Culture in Pyongyang and subjected to severe criticism.” Team members were confronted in front of 400 onlookers before being forced to reprimand their coach. The coach was also chastised by officials for betraying the country’s leaders.
Bringing Values to Life
I read Awesomely Simple by John Spence today. It is an excellent book that contains some of the best lessons that I learned in his "Strategies for Success" workshop, along with a few additional insights that he has discovered over the years. One quote in the chapter about developing a "Vivid Vision" particularly struck me: "If the vision is written down in a hundred places, painted on banners, and carved in a giant rock in front of the building but is not a living part of the culture, then it is the same as not having one."