Do my best…

I hear people saying “do my best” very often. Actually I used to say this very often as well.

Then one day, I suddenly realized that when I said “do my best” I was trying to use it as a shield – which gave me a shelter for hiding.

Because when I said “do my best” people left me alone. There is no measurement for “do my best”, therefore I could goof around, did not care the consequence of my behaviors. I could hide from my inaction and incapability. And it also could become my excuse when I failed to accomplish something.

So be careful when you say do my best next time.

And also check whoever says do my best.

“Do my best” works for people with motivation, ambition, and goal-minded people. “Do my best” works with creditable people. “Do my best” works in a context of common understanding of the ground rules. “Do my best” works for the people embracing the same culture.

You also can breath and give others’ benefit of doubt when they say this… Do my best is pleasant to hear after all!

Shipping is working

When we are on the road to our goals and dreams, the road always seems endless.

It may have detours. We may face cliffs, revivers, mountains, storms and wild animals on the way. We may wonder if we are doing our work.

How do we know we are closer to our goals when we can’t seen them?

Well, as long as we are shipping what we are doing, we are working. Shipping is working.

Only through shipping, we can find and test our theories, whether we are on the right direction or not. Each test is a shipping. For each test we do, we are getting closer to our goals.

Keep testing and keep shipping.

Goal is for action

We set up goals for work, for life.

We make dreams for work, for life.

We have visions for work, for life.

Have you stopped and assessed the progress you’ve made for your goals, dreams and visions? How far are you progressing from the time you set them up? How long will you get there?

If you haven’t done anything for your goals, dreams and visions, they are bad ones. Redo them, get some good ones.

Good goals, dreams and visions are those that bring your action, make you excited to do something about, keep you pumped and continued going forward, and recharge you when you are in a dip.

Jack Ma said something about the goal and vision he has for Alibaba… I am paraphrasing here: Because I believe, therefore I can see the realization of my goal and vision.

Goal is the daily drive to get us out of the bed.

Dream is the direction to keep us go, go, go!

Vision is for us to use for verifying them in reality, not for challenging other’s statements.

Edge creation

Life has many bumps and detours. Life also can be too calm, like a sea without any waves.

When the life becomes too still, we get bored.

Human in nature needs new things to grow with life changes: new things to learn, to do, to entertain… without an edge, we may enter into a slow “suicidal” phase.

To keep our flames for life, we need create our edges from time to time.

Only then, when the edge created, it brings tension and drive to our life.

Therefore, life moves on.

4-hour workday, really?

Have you done an assessment on your daily working hours? I know, most of us may have a standard eight to seven working hours a day. But, seriously, have you checked how many hours you are actually working?

I bet you may be surprised about your finding.

If you can focus and work four hours a day, you will be quite productive!

The trick is how are you going to use this four hours efficiently.

I have a friend who is General Manager and a Board Member of a mid-size company. She separates her four hours into two to three blocks a day for working, and uses other times to read, think and write whenever she can.

This arrangement has made her “more creative, fresh and being in the role”, as she put it.

Of course, this mentality can be adapted by any people from any role or position. We need to test the suitability and our own blocks of time. The key is to be more productive, and keep ourselves fresh and happy about what we do.

If we can have 4-hours a day work done efficiently, we can make a difference to our life and our working environment.

Why not take a leap of faith and try work four hours a day?

To be kind

Confucius said that Human nature is kind… this statement has impacted many generations.

To be kind is one of the doctrines my parents and school teachers told me when I was young. Therefore, to some extent, I think to be kind is in a personal level for a long long time.

Then,

It is interesting to know that today some companies have To be kind as one of the ground rules of their operation. The rule of To be kind has huge positive implication for their employees.

To be kind empowers employees to be their best because their employers are kind;
To be kind gives people room to grow when their fellows and bosses allow them to make mistakes;
To be kind increases people’s empathy when they see themselves from others as their mirror;
To be kind increases trust and connects people, makes team work more efficient;
To be kind makes ourselves happier because we make others happy…
…

The companies set up To be kind as one of their rules will attract people alike. Like-minded people will form a positive atmosphere for people working there. Therefore, a positive cycle forms. I want to know more companies having this rule.

To be kind is a nature in human.

Work with people you dislike

No matter what you do, or you don’t do, you always have something or someone you dislike. This is life.

What are you going to do with someone you dislike or may hate at work? This person may be your boss, colleague, or collaborator… How can you make your life livable or for better?

One way to make things better for you is to shift your thinking.

Think at least two things you can learn from the person. Use this person as your best teacher in the world, learn what you do not want to do as a leader, as a team player, as a generous human being.

By thinking this way, you will gain at least two advantages: 1) you learn to be a better person. 2) you gain empathy. And you probably also become less angry, more happy, and more appreciative of your life.

Give the way…

What is the role being a leader?

Lead people, you may say.

I agree with you on this.

What is the important role being a leader?

This question gets many different answers.

I would argue that the import role of being a leader is to give the way to others.

Being a leader is to remember that everyone has potentials, talent, and capabilities. Our role as a leader is to pave the way for others to strive for their best, and trust them on their way to get there.

Being a leader is to get out of our own story, be open, give others’ space to grow.

Being a leader is to give the way to others, let them speed it up on their own pace.

Chinese proverb says: Three stooges are better than Zhuge Liang. Which means collective wisdom wins.

As a leader, it is how to maximize the collective wisdom and let them be the energy force for your organization and team.

Give the way and lead the way alternatively.

I would say give the way most of the time, serve others. Leader is not necessarily the star; the team or the organization is the star. I am always grateful and proud of my team for their initiatives, talents and collective spirit.

Give the way and serve the team are the essence of a leader.

Showing up

We make promises. We make plans. We want to make a difference.

All of these requires that you show up.

You show up for your promises, for your plans and for making changes.

Someone said: success is 90% showing up + 10% effort.

I am not totally sure that is the exactly number or percentage for everyone. But it certainly tells the truth – success needs constant working towards your goals, your intentions and making an effort.

You need showing up when you don’t feel like so, when you are exhausted, when you encounter failures, when you feel you are not ready…

Whether you are ready or not, step up, show up, and go, go, go!

What is in it for me?

What’s in it for me?

To answer this question may be one of the strongest drives for us to do things, or not to do things.

However, the question is a neutral one.

The negative notion raised by this question may reflect our selfish side. The positive side may include that it can remind us about our intention, purpose, basically to what end we do what we do?

More often we may even not clearly know what’s in it for me. We follow our intuition to make decisions, or choices. Therefore, knowing our what’s in it for me will help us to reflect, redirect, recharge, or discharge…