July » 2010 » Leave It To Weaver

I Want Your Life

Don’t you be yelling at me.

Originally uploaded by Mareen Fischinger

To the lady screaming at the cashier at Wal-Mart because he won’t ad-match your item, I wish I had your life. To the man complaining loudly to anyone within earshot while standing in line at the Genius Bar, I wish I had your life. To the woman cussing out the barista at Starbucks because she accidentally messed up your order, I wish I had your life. To the guy yelling at the customer service representative from your phone company who took your call, I wish I had your life.

I mean, you people have it so good that in the grand scheme of things the most important thing you have to lose your temper over is poor customer service. Wow. What a great life! No other worries. No other concerns. Nothing as important as getting your coffee perfect. Who cares about the high school kid working the check-out lane, right? Who cares about the college student making your coffee just like you like it, right?

On second thought, maybe I don’t want your life.

Foto Finish Friday

You grab its tail, I’ll get the nut, originally uploaded by Tampen.

*Each Friday an interesting photo is selected to end the week on.

Embrace the Exciting and Scary, but Avoid Panic

Coney Island

Originally uploaded by drewmaniac

A new car is exciting. The new bills for the car is a little scary.

A new job is exciting. The not knowing how you will like the new job is scary.

A new project is exciting. The idea that the new project may fail is scary.

Scary should never freeze you and here’s why:

Your old car will stop working. Then the panic to get a new car immediately will rush your decision.

Your old job may cease to exist. Then the panic of searching for a new job before the money runs out will rush your decision.

Your old project may have ended. Then the panic of what to do next may rush your decision.

So accept that the new will be a little scary and then refuse to wait until you are forced to do something new. Try the new and exciting on your terms. Don’t wait for an emergency and then be forced to hit the panic button. That will just take away from the fun of your new, exciting, and a little scary project. Right?

Foto Finish Friday

Coffee Break, originally uploaded by Photo David.

*Each Friday an interesting photo is selected to end the week on.

Social Media Bandwagon Stops

Day 348/365 "I Caught You!"

Originally uploaded by Wellstone

I like Twitter and social media in general. I like blogging and reading other blogs more enjoyable than mine as well. However, (you knew there was a “but” coming) one constant trend irritates me from time to time. The social media and blogging landscape is full of what I call bandwagon stops.

Bandwagon stops are like bus stops, only they’re bandwagon stops, so typically everyone jumps on when the bandwagon comes along. Oh and yes, almost everyone climbs aboard the bandwagon. Consider the couple of years I’ve been active on Twitter. For better or worse, these are some of the bandwagons I’ve seen nearly everyone (sometimes including myself) climb aboard.

Bandwagon Stop #1: “Twitter is going to revolutionize the way business is conducted!”

Bandwagon Stop #2: “Here’s how you should use Twitter…”

Bandwagon Stop #3: “The only rule of Twitter is there are no rules.”

Bandwagon Stop #4: “It doesn’t matter how many followers you have.”

Bandwagon Stop# 5: “Boo Oprah and Ashton Kutcher!”

Bandwagon Stop #6: “You have to be transparent.”

Bandwagon Stop #7: “You have to earn social currency!”

Bandwagon Stop #8: “Justin Bieber!”

Bandwagon Stop #9: “When it comes to social media, it’s all about your influence.”

Bandwagon Stop #10: What’s next?

So what’s my point?

Here’s the deal. You and I would do well to pass on a few bandwagon stops from time to time. Even when it comes to our offline lives for that matter.

In the early 1990′s I really wanted a GUESS t-shirt. All the cool kids had them and since I thought I was cool, I needed one too. I use the word “needed” loosely. Since I was a teenager without a job, I didn’t have much money, so I would ask my parents to buy one for me occasionally. They never would. Most of the time the answer involved something about them being “overpriced” and “you don’t have to wear what everyone else is wearing.” I didn’t get it then. I get it now. It was a bandwagon stop. I was there and I wanted on that bandwagon, but it was a pretty pointless bandwagon to jump on.

The next time a bandwagon stop is in view, think a little before climbing aboard the bandwagon. Sometimes it’s best just to let it pass, but sometimes it could be good not to follow everyone and instead offer some alternatives. Try to find something that needs to be said or in the very least provides a different take on the current bandwagon stops. Maybe your ideas will make more sense and be more beneficial to everyone in the long run.

We could all use a break from Bieber Fever anyway.

Know When To Fold Them

??………?????

Originally uploaded by *??*

In Japanese culture if you remonstrate three times and lose, it is customary to cease your protest because further action is likely to be fruitless. In the workplace when you see something is going off course, it can be that you protest or try to fix what you see as a huge issue. When you encounter resistance, you may even want to fight it. In fact, you’re often told it’s best to stay and fight. Never give up. Never give in. Be the last man standing. Never quit. Don’t be a quitter. But, is that always the best advice?

I once worked with a guy who worked for a company who had gone belly up. One by one everyone was laid off. In the end he was about all that was left. As he locked up the building, he was literally the last man out the door. He said he would never do it again. He would bail long before it reached that point. Essentially he was trying to tell me that I never wanted to be that guy who was going down with the ship. Especially if it wasn’t my ship in the first place.

For some reason his story has stuck with me over the years and in this poor economy it has come to my mind a little more often of late. I’m convinced, you have to know when to quit. You have to know when to move on. You have to know when to bow out. You have to know when to fold. If you look around, the best of the best always know when to quit. They always know when it’s time to move on to something else.

Personally, I’m still working on this. I’m the type that wants to put my foot down and take a stand. I want to fight it out. I want to protest and bring about positive change. I want to make things better and I’m prepared to fight to make it so.

Maybe I need to take a cue from the Japanese. Maybe you should too.

Looks, Noise, and Talk

Originally uploaded by razorbern

You can look busy, but looking busy does not mean you are getting much accomplished.

You can make a lot of noise, but making noise does not mean you are saying anything of importance.

You can talk a good game, but talking a good game does not mean you know how to play the game.

Sometimes because we know how to look busy, make a lot of noise, and can talk a good game we think we’re accomplishing something. But, sometimes we’re doing just the opposite.

Stop for a moment and look around. What are you doing? Are you getting things done? Are you making real strides and accomplishing your goals? If not, maybe you’re just spinning your wheels with lots of looks, noise, and talk.

Story Of A Nudge: The Prequel

Day 319/365 "I Quit" (Explore!)

Originally uploaded by Wellstone

Before you read this post, I encourage you to read my post Story Of A Nudge first. I don’t mean to get all George Lucas on you here, but this is the prequel to that post. Don’t worry though. There is no sign of Jar Jar Binks in any of these stories.

I walked into work that day with a brisk pace. I had a purpose. I knew in my heart what I was doing was what needed to be done. I had tried for far too long to bring about some positive changes, but could no longer beat my head up against the proverbial wall.

To say I was frustrated would have been an understatement. It had been 4 years and nothing had changed. In fact workplace morale had only worsened and nearly every suggestion for improvement (by many, not just myself) was either ignored or shot down. It didn’t seem many at the top wanted to change anything, or they lacked the courage to do so. It wasn’t just me who had reached this point of no return. Many were tired. The letter I had in my hand was signed by myself and another manager. Though we had the moral support from our peers, we were the only two willing (or dumb enough some might say) to lay our income on the line and follow through with our plans.

We walked into the office of our district manager and handed him the envelope. Essentially it pointed out some of the problems the store was facing, how we had been trying for years to fix them, and how we could no longer continue in our current positions since there was no apparent effort to change the direction we were heading. We resigned from our positions and asked to be demoted to cashiers. Which is suicide, financially speaking, in the retail world.

I was pretty confident I wasn’t going to lose my job. I had some capital I could afford to spend, but I wasn’t sure what would happen economically because I was essentially asking for a demotion and a pay cut. I knew I couldn’t survive very long on the menial pay my new position would bring, but there comes a point where peace of mind is much more important than a couple more dollars an hour.

Sure, we were young and a little crazy for taking the risk, but looking back it was one of the best moves I’ve made for myself professionally. But, boy, was it scary.

If you did as I suggested at the beginning of this post and read Story Of A Nudge, you know what took place just about a month later. You also know I never would have had that encounter in my check-out line that afforded me the opportunity for a much better job had I not been willing to take the risk my partner and I took that day.

Sometimes in order to better ourselves, we need to take some risks.

In a poor economy you and I tend to withdraw and take fewer risks. It’s understandable. I get it. It can be scary, but you should never allow fear to paralyze you. If you’re ever going to bring about any change (whether in your personal life, or professionally), you will have to do some things that at first will be uncomfortable or even scary. If you aren’t willing to be a little scared or uncomfortable, you’ll end up just complaining all the time – and never going anywhere.

Do what is needed. Take a stand. Do what you know is right. Say what needs to be said. Move on if you must. Push through. Start taking steps to bring about real, effective change. But please, don’t just be frustrated, always complaining, and never willing to take any risks that could bring about change. For your sake and mine.