Bold? Courageous? Or…

It’s 2022 year-end.  Time to reflect?  Time to plan and prepare for 2023?  Time to quit and change jobs? 

I continue to read about people quitting their jobs in search of “better”.  Are those in that movement bold?  Courageous?  Self-confident?  “Betting on themselves”?  Or not.  I’m permanently out of the game, having retired in 2022.  So now I’m just an observer; a sideline commentator. 

I’ve noticed many of my former colleagues at my last company have changed companies; several times actually, all just in the past couple of years even before I retired. Would you call that courage?  Would you assume they are seeking “better”?  Shall we assume because they keep quitting they’re still seeking? 

“Stay and make a difference” was the advice I offered for those who asked my opinion.  Having sought “better” many times over, I successfully tried that myself for the last twelve years of my career.  It was tempting to quit, but I decided for once not to.  I decided my friend Robyn Nicholson was right in her assessment of continuously changing jobs: 

            Same circus; different clowns. 

I know there is risk in staying at your current company and trying to “make a difference”.  Truth is, there is danger in any direction we select for 2023: 

Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure.  The fearful are caught as often as the bold. 

Helen Keller 

Truly, I held various jobs for several companies throughout my career.  I too changed to something “better” many times.  Mostly “greener pastures”; occasionally “browner”.  Was I being bold? Courageous?  Or not. 

Courage doesn't always roar.  Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, “I will try again tomorrow." 

Mary Anne Radmacher

I learned about the importance of “trying again tomorrow” from a friend and former colleague of mine, Gary Givan.  His advice was to focus on each day; making the day a good day; taking things one day at a time.  Gary would say when you string together as many good days as possible the rest of the year will take care of itself.  Gary’s wasn’t a bold, risk-taking approach.  More of a quiet, disciplined, yet courageous mind set. 

I was willing to take risks, that’s for sure.  But perhaps taking risks was the easy way out.  Rather than facing up to each day’s challenges; striving to get better; figuring out a way to conquer; is it easier to just quit in the name of finding something “better”?  Staying with our current job takes courage, too: 

Courage is a special kind of knowledge; the knowledge of how to fear what ought to be feared and how to not fear what ought not to be feared. 

David Ben-Gurian 

Should our current situation be feared?  Are we afraid we might miss out if we don’t leave at the end of 2022 in pursuit of our next adventure in 2023?  Well, only each of us would know what is best for our individual situation, but the odds are we should not fear staying vs. quitting.  In reality, either option will require steadfast, daily commitment to succeed. 

So here’s to your success in 2023!  Be bold! Be courageous! Be fearless no matter who winds up signing your paycheck.  Take each day, one day at a time, and focus on getting better today.  May the wind of your effort fill your sails, speeding you towards “better” in 2023 and beyond. 

GAP 

When life gets tough we could get a helmet… or… we could leverage the peace and share the power of a positive perspective.

Christ’s birthday…

It’s Christmas eve!  Of course, Christmas is more than just one day, true?  Nonetheless, I’m wishing you a day of peace, hope, joy and celebration with family and friends. 

Whatever our spiritual beliefs, may each of us find meaning to our life during this season in a way that lasts throughout the entire year.  While we may not want to look back and celebrate all of what’s happened in 2022, I’m sure we are looking forward to a better 2023! 

Lest there be any confusion, may we be reminded of that which was important this year, and that which wasn’t. 

We are reminded by bankers to be of good cheer: 

A little boy received a new drum for Christmas.  Shortly thereafter, his father came home from work and the mother told him, “I don’t think the man upstairs likes to hear Georgie play his new drum, but he’s certainly subtle about it.”  “How do you know”? asked the father.  “Well, this afternoon he gave Georgie a knife and asked him if he knew what was inside the drum.” 

Herbert Prochnow

We are reminded by the gospel to be satisfied with who we are not what we bought: 

You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are – no more, no less.  That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought. 

Matthew 5 

We are reminded by the novelists to remember (and be thankful for) our “fortunes”: 

Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has many; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some. 

Charles Dickens 

I am reminded to offer His blessings to you and yours from me and mine. 

“Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!” 

GAP

Recognition…

In my opinion, we all have time to offer recognition and positive reinforcement to those in our lives.  Permit me to take another moment and recognize you! 

I know how busy you are; and Lord knows the volume of incoming emails, texts, phone calls, and other interruptions you face each day.  So again, THANK YOU for choosing to read me! 

Speaking of thank-yous and of recognition… 

I have written often about the motivational power of recognition in the business world.  I continue to believe it is one of the most under-leveraged and perhaps even misunderstood tools available to managers, coaches, and leaders.  That may be especially true during these times of “work-at-home” settings and "quiet quitting" employees.  What do you suppose your best employees are up to at this very moment? 

Re-Recruiting… 

If you’re not recruiting your best people; you’re the only one who isn't. 

                   Beverly Kaye 

I know wage increases get a lot of publicity these days, but is that the only way to retain employees?   In the book, Love 'Em or Lose 'Em © Rosabeth Moos Kanter offered: 

Compensation is a right; recognition is a gift.

Take the sales profession for instance.  The novice believes money drives performance.  Study after study has shown money doesn’t even make the top 10 in what drives sales behavior.  I suspect that holds true with many professions. 

Performance can be propelled in other ways.  Recognition is powerful, but only if it is offered.   Back to Love 'Em or Lose 'Em © and Beverly Kaye: 

A study of more than 4,000 businesses across Australia and New Zealand found that three-fourths of employees are starved for recognition, receiving it from their managers only monthly, quarterly, or once a year.  And 11 percent received no praise at all! 

Warren Bemis added: 

Think about how you felt the last time someone thanked you.  If it feels so good to receive it, why would we so often fail to give it?  So many otherwise able managers act as if compliments come out of their bank accounts. 

Is this a common phenomenon in your world?  Do your managers give positive reinforcement frequently?  Or have they become so busy; so automated; so inundated; so robotic; they don’t easily pause to say, “Thank you for your work” very often? 

Of course, there are many ways to offer genuine recognition to employees.  Take patience and the opportunity to learn from one’s mistakes as an example.  It works for even the most high-powered executives: 

A senior manager made a mistake that cost his company $10 million.  As he walked into his boss's office, he anticipated anger and most probably a firing.  His boss asked him what he had learned from the mistake, and he quickly listed all the things he would do differently next time.  Then he waited for the ax to fall.  And he waited.  Finally, he asked, "Aren't you going to fire me?"  The boss answered, "Why would I fire you?  I just invested $10 million in your learning. 

Harry Beckwith

Getting back to top salespeople for a moment, it’s been my experience that they in particular are not motivated (or retained for that matter) by mere money.  However, I have never met a successful sales rep who didn’t shine upon receiving recognition.  I bet this principle applies to all types of employees; readers too! 

So, thank you again for reading my periodic posts.  It’s the type of recognition any author (especially this one) appreciates. 

                                                            GAP 

When life gets tough we could get a helmet… or… we could leverage the peace and share the power of a positive perspective.

Common enemies…

“OK Pokorn”, you might be thinking… “How will you correlate that title with peace and positivity?”  Well, there is actually great power found in emotional negativity that can be harnessed for the greater good.  It is the appeal to the greater good that we should remember. 

Today, America recognizes Pearl Harbor Day.  Eighty-one years ago, December 7, 1941, an emotionally negative event occurred that summoned a powerful, driving force for the greater good.  From a factual standpoint according to Google: 

In total, 2,335 Americans died and 1,143 were wounded. 

Nothing remarkable in the annals of bloody combat, or even the bloody headlines of today, true?  But the highly-charged political discourse that followed, epitomized by President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “Infamy Speech”, (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infamy_Speech ) united our country against a common enemy.

Negative emotions can be a powerful driving force.  But always a force for the greater good?  With the difficult events that have occurred almost daily throughout 2022…where will we find the greater good from “recession”; “mid-term elections”; “ negative politics”; or “global warming”? 

The significant problems we face cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them. 

Albert Einstein 

If the hyperbole of current events is similar to the highly-charged political discourse that followed the attack on Pearl Harbor, have we become our own common enemies today?  Are we willing to think differently? 

I always feel good when everyone says I'm nuts because it's a sign that we're trying to do something innovative. 

Larry Ellison 

Thinking differently may offer us hope, but different does not have to be radical; dis-uniting;  or mean-spirited.  Our thinking should create more friends and allies than it does enemies.  Back to Larry: 

On the other hand, when people say you’re nuts, you just might be nuts… You don't want people saying you’re nuts too often - once every three or four years is good.  Any more than that, and you should be worried because no one's smart enough to have a good idea more than once every three or four years. 

In the business world we often see evidence of power when a company unites against common enemies.  Steve Jobs continuously crusaded to be taken seriously – until Apple rose to dominate personal, technology devices and the way we consume entertainment and information.  The common enemy was their adversity facing marketplace disrespect.  That negative driving force drove Apple to astronomical heights. 

"ADVERSITY”: 

Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents, which, in prosperous circumstances, would have lain dormant. 

Horace 

The American Red Cross inspired from the carnage of our Civil War, formerly launched in 1881 in Washington D.C.  This powerful organization is also untied against common enemies – the devastated; the wounded; the needy; the destitute. 

Yes, there are many common enemies that coupled with the negative, emotional reactions they stimulate give rise to harnessing power for the greater good: 

In every community, there is work to be done. 

  In every nation, there are wounds to heal. 

    In every heart, there is the power to do it. 

Marianne Williamson 

Here’s to Pearly Harbor Day and all the power it generated to propel our country forward in the face of common enemies.  What lessons have we learned?  How will we propel America and our fellow Americans, forward this December in the face of today’s common enemies?  

Yes Marianne, in every community, there is work to be done.  In our hearts and minds, we all have the power to do it! 

GAP 

When life gets tough we could get a helmet… or… we could leverage the peace and share the power of a positive perspective.