To team or not to team...that's not the question...

These days, there seems to be quite a bit of debate about the effectiveness of teamwork, but to me it appears that most people aren't asking the right questions...

I read an article in the New York Times the other day with some pretty strong statements about teamwork and groupthink (two of my favorite topics). What struck me most about it was that there was no clear definition of why these teams were formed.  The author made a lot of statements about how some people are more effective as lone contributors (i.e. Steve Wozniak from Apple as the quintessential example) and the comments section was full of testimonials from people who clearly felt uncomfortable working in the group settings they'd been exposed to.

My take on all this is that whomever was forming these groups and group-oriented environments wasn't paying enough attention to the style of work at hand, individual strengths and the type of situations where groups can be effective.

Below is my personal list of group-manager-oriented pet peeves.  If I were to touch upon each of these topics in this blog post, it would get longer than either of us has the patience for.  However, I think there are quite a lot of interesting things to say on each of these topics, so I'll be using this as a general guideline to dig deeper into each of these in upcoming posts.

• Not being clear on meeting purpose and objective.  Oh how I've seen this...let me count the ways... (this one's gonna be hard to write without turning into a rant)
• Including too many people in meetings.  So often I hear invalid "valid reasons" for this.  To keep someone in the loop.  Just in case xyz question/topic comes up.  And many others.  I call shenanigans...
• Not specifying clear group-project roles. Even on the best of teams, if it's not clear to everyone who's leading, if someone is responsible for note-taking, if someone has the role of "devil's advocate", if someone is supposed to represent a specific interest, if someone has a particular subject matter expertise, etc. things will not go as well as they might otherwise...
• Not allowing various roles to participate differently.  If the meeting objective is clearly defined, then it should help guide what roles are needed, and equally importantly, not needed.  As a corollary to this, not everyone may need to be there for the whole meeting, or contribute in the same manner.
• Not acting strategically regarding the social dynamics best suited to achieving the purpose.  This speaks volumes directly about the issues mentioned in the groupthink article.  There are so many dynamic and interesting ways to manage this, that have nothing to do with "is teamwork inherently good or bad".
• Confusing "team building" with "rapport building."  How often have you seen a corporate retreat style exercise that's meant to build some sort of "working together as a team" skill?   How often does this actually get applied in a focused manner to people who really need to coordinate their input/output efforts that closely?  I say call a spade a spade, and focus on a different set of social dynamics that are often sorely needed - "rapport building."
• Not effectively moderating, focusing and setting rules/guidelines for meeting dynamics.  Brainstorming and creative thinking does not equal no boundaries and chaos.  In fact, it's been proven by my friend, Science, that a clearly defined problem space and compelling boundaries fosters creative problem solving efforts.
• Not providing free pizza.  I should never be expected to think on an empty stomach!  Mozzarella = excellence.

What other ineffective dynamics have you seen?

Balancing...it's all an act.

The new year often brings thoughts of improvement, balance and re-evaluating life.  Why is it so easy to lose momentum on these things throughout the rest of the year?

I've been thinking about balance lately and have come to the conclusion that there is no such thing as a "system" or "technique" to achieve it.  Our lives are complex systems with innumerable variables which are constantly in flux.  The idea that there could be some sort of stasis called "balance" amongst all of this seems unnatural.  The more I've learned about complex systems, the more I see this reinforced.  So, what's the alternative then?


For me, balance brings to mind the image of a tightrope walker.  Let's go with that...  If you dig deeply into what's going on there are immeasurable variables.  Rope tension, pole rigidity, the walker's energy level, what they've eaten, air turbulence, breathing rate, temperatures, thoughts, and possibly attempting to juggle at the same time (really dude? showoff...)...on and on...  So, this set of actions to achieve a goal - to make it across a tightrope - is comprised of a set of infinitely complex variables.

As you start to extrapolate that across all the various aspects of our lives it's a wonder any of us manages to figure out how to do anything!  And yet...we do.

How do we do it?

• By keeping our eye on bigger picture goals
• By maintaining a high level of awareness of ourselves and outside influences
• By learning and practicing the relevant skills

 How do we fail to do it?

• By losing focus on what we're trying to achieve
• By being lured into tension relieving, short term actions

My fake New Years Resolutions (I really didn't make any except to continue doing my part to keep the champagne industry in business...):

• Learn to sit with tension until I understand its source
• Pause more often to think about other people's motivations, view points and feelings
• Give thought to understanding my resistance to actions (especially running...ugh, I still hate it...but I know why and I've found ways to overcome that feeling and get out there)
• Acknowledge and embrace the things (which aren't necessarily tangible "things") that make me happy and attempt to foster more of them in my life, especially by letting go of not-so-happy-making things to make room.
• Don't try to fill up every waking moment with stuff to do.

 Doing less, slowing down, becoming more focused and increasing awareness...there ya go.

As an aside, the blogging 15 minutes a day thing is working GREAT!!!  I genuinely look forward to it, leave wanting more and sometimes use those 15 minutes for research or strategizing blog topics.  If I get off track or miss a day, it's so much easier to jump back in knowing I only have to sit down for 15 minutes to start again.  Seriously - try it if you have a habit you've been trying to reinforce.  I'd love to hear if it works for you!

Takin' care of business...nope...takin' care of me...

I'm sure I'm the only one who ever feels overwhelmed and not sure where to turn first...or next...or wait, what about that other thing...arrrgh!

I haven't written this past week or so because I've been sick.  I figure, I have no business pushing myself to blog or feel guilty about it if I can't even muster up the energy to take a shower.  So yeah, my criteria for high quality writing is on par with the ability to bathe myself.  Something like that...


However, it brought to mind some advice I was given, by a wise woman several years ago, that has always served me well, "When you don't know where to turn or what to do next, take care of yourself first."  It seems so simple, yet almost always feels counter-intuitive when I need it most.

We all have a huge number of demands on our time...jobs, children, hobbies, life goals, partners, friends, family, social commitments, health and fitness goals (don't even get me started on New Years resolutions!), and so on.  Many of these are enjoyable and by choice.  However, that doesn't mean they can't be draining, especially when your schedule looks like the perfect storm of obligations converging.

I could write a whole (or several) entries on "saying no", and I'm sure I'll explore that further at some point, however, this entry is about recognizing when to pause and listen to that voice that says, "you have some basic needs that need to be met so you can make good decisions, be social, be reliable, etc."  This seems like a first cousin to "saying no."

There was a time, a number of years ago, when I had pushed myself professionally to exhaustion.  I had so much on my shoulders that I couldn't tell you what day it was, what time it was, if I was wearing clean clothes, the last time I'd gone to bed before 3am....you get the idea.  I ended up sitting on the floor of the server closet (it wasn't even a proper room...just a tiny closet) at work and having a meltdown (yes, tears and snot were involved...). 

Someone walked in and asked what they could do to help...it was about 3pm...my response was, "Please bring me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, chips and a coke."  I realized I couldn't remember the last time I'd eaten.  After that, I went and washed my face and brushed my hair and emailed a few people telling them that things wouldn't be fixed that day.  I resembled a human again, went home, got some sleep and came in early the next day and pulled some IT kung-fu on that server (and felt great about it!).

I'd love to say I learned my lesson and lived happily every after from that day forward, but no, it has taken a few more near-meltdowns of various sorts to put the pieces together and realize the importance of catching myself early when I'm in need of attention - and then putting myself first and meeting my needs without feeling guilty.  Even today, with all the self-awareness I've focused on this effort, I still get to the point of feeling overwhelmed a few times a year.  However, now, when that happens, I know what to do...eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Take care of yourselves during this busy, high stress time of year, don't forget to use your sense of humor, and realize that the party (even a fancy dinner party!) will go on if you're late.  If every last decoration isn't perfect...oh well, call it "character."  And if you say "no" to social invitations, sure, some people might miss you or be disappointed, but what a good excuse to get together for cocktails in the new year!

Happy holidays everyone...

It's important to know when t

When I was training my dog they reinforced the practice of stopping while it was still fun for you and the dog...leave 'em wanting more.  I think Aymii-training sessions should work that way too!

One possibly-not-so-obvious aspect of the 15 minutes a day plan is to be diligent about stopping at 15 minutes...even if I feel like I'm on a roll or I might forget some really important point.  I used to feel compelled to get to a "good stopping point" before taking a break from a project.  I've noticed that, as I've evolved my behavior change and time management skills, leaving off at a really awkward point (even *gasp* in the middle of a sentence) actually makes it easier for me to pick up again when I come back.  It's very obvious where I stopped!  It's also good training for my brain to reinforce that leaving something part-way finished (with a clear plan to come back to it) has positive consequences.  Of course, if you make a habit of leaving projects unfinished with no clear plan to store them, dispose of them or come back to them...that's another story...and a different behavioral pattern for a different day... (and possibly someone else's blog...)
 
Forcing myself not to overdo it has provided unforeseen benefits:

• It helps distill what is truly important.  If I can't remember what I wanted to say the next day, it probably wasn't all that critical to begin with.
• It forces me to focus.  Knowing that I only have 15 minutes on the clock makes me put all my energy into writing / editing / proofreading during that time.  I've developed adjunct habits to eliminate distractions during this period.
• As mentioned above, it (over time) creates a comfort level with leaving things incomplete.  This is a can be difficult for those of us (looking myself squarely in the eye) who link accomplishment to closure.  It can manifest itself in numerous unexpected ways throughout life (i.e. "cleaning your plate" as a sign when to stop eating, rather than when you're full - a topic for another day).
• It gives me the right amount of breathing room to come back and proof-read and edit.  If I proof-read right when I've finished, then I'm in the same mindset and am likely to skim over points that could use some revising.  I'd like to think this also improves the quality of the output...
• I leaves me wanting more.  15 minutes is enough time to get a decent amount of focused writing done, but I'm left with the sense of having more to say and wanting to come back.

So you can figure out for yourselves how long it took me to complete this post.  I've been true to this daily habit so far, and am actually enjoying it far more than I anticipated and definitely more than I did when a writing session equated to finishing the blog post.

As an aside - I also learned to play the bodhran (Irish drum) this way.  I used to practice only while my english muffins were in the toaster in the morning.  Now I'm quite accomplished at it, but always have a vague desire to eat breakfast foods after an Irish session. :-)

We have liftoff...

But that's just the trouble with me. I give myself very good advice, but I very seldom follow it.- Alice in Alice in Wonderland

Hi there...it's been a while.  How you doing?  I could provide a song and dance about how busy I've been, but the truth of the matter is, I had good advice for myself, but didn't have an actionable plan to keep my blogging consistent.  However, I did have tremendous success at making excuses about why I would "do it tomorrow".

Looking back, I was making it out to be a much "bigger thing" than it needs to be.  I started looking at other blogs out there and telling myself, "You should have more pictures...you should be funny...you should inspire the world...you should have witty, remarkable, insightful things to say all the time!"  Yeah, no pressure...

So, I'm going back to square one of behavior change theory and applying it to myself.  When trying to create a new habit, think of it like a rocket launch.  There is an initial phase where A LOT of energy (approximately a gazillion pounds of thrust in my pseudo-scientific opinion) is needed to get out of orbit.  This needs to be constant energy.  However, once the rocket has gained sufficient momentum and left the atmosphere, it is able to orbit with very little energy expenditure.  Mostly to adjust course from time to time.  (I'm going to totally ignore the re-entry part of things...)

With my blog-rocket (that sounds slimy and gross for some reason...like a snot-rocket) I haven't yet made it out of the atmosphere.  I need to maintain consistent pressure.  So...I will attempt to write for 15 minutes each day.  No more, no less.  I can find 15 minutes.  I won't necessarily post every day.  I may come back the next day and finish or proofread an entry before posting it, but I will make the commitment to create the habit.  During the launch phase it's much more important to focus on consistency and frequency than lengthy duration.  In behavior change theory, this phase will usually last about 3 months to truly integrate a new habit.

After 3 months, (once you are in orbit) you can alter the pattern more easily.  Maybe I'll write twice a week for an hour each...whatever...the point is, during that phase I can more easily mess around with the pattern without as much risk of losing all momentum.

So yeah, for now, me and my blog-rocket are leaving the launch pad...15 minutes at a time.

(p.s. the Tough Mudder training is going really well...more on that another time...)

Small change, big difference.

A year ago, I used to be wiped out at the end of a long day of constant meetings...one change made all the difference...can it work for other activities too?

There are certain days of the week where, for a variety of reasons, I have meetings solid from the moment I walk in the office until I shut down my computer in the evening.  These meetings are necessary and engaging, so my issue was not with the volume or the content, but primarily with the stamina and endurance it takes to stay that focused and "on" at a sustained intensity level for 8+ hours.

I am feeling similar demands during my current training for the Tough Mudder.  Doubts creep in...can I really keep this intensity and consistency up for 6 more months?  Yikes - I'm not going to answer that.

So I thought back to the meeting-energy-suck-situation of a year ago and realized, what I did there was effective...maybe I could do something similar in other areas of my life?

The strategy...

If a meeting was normally scheduled for an hour, then the goal was to do it in 50 minutes.  Everyone involved was focused on that goal and part of making it more efficient.  If it was a half hour meeting, I'd aim to chop off those last 5 minutes.  Productivity-wise, it may have even improved our efficiency by helping us maintain focus and have a small accomplishment to "celebrate" at the end of the meeting by hitting our time target.  The value added by having that "breather" between meetings, was tremendous.  The ability to stand up, walk around, see other people, other rooms...whatever...just the change of scenery and allowing for mental transition time between meetings, was more energizing than even I expected.  I'd end the day feeling strong and productive, rather than drained and flat.

So, can I find ways to do this in other aspects of my life, and even more specifically, physical activity training?  I think (hope) so.  One of the techniques recommended to me for endurance training was "always finish strong."  This way, you get your mind used to that feeling of strength when you're in the home stretch. 

I'm about to go out running and had planned on doing a solid 45 minute run (which I'm none too enthusiastic about right now).  Well, self, I'll make a deal with you...how about 40 minutes instead, with a good solid finish at minutes 38 & 39?  If 38 & 39 are positive, focused and strong, we're done.  If they're not...we're going for 45.  I like the idea of rewarding myself for attitude, focus and form (and not just slogging through the longevity because that's what I "said" I'd do).  For those "free" 5 minutes?...that'll be me doing the "I'm spent but I'm happy" dance in the grass next to the running track at McCarren Park in Brooklyn (and possibly checking out the guys playing soccer).  Be there at 5:59pm for the exciting conclusion and possible happy dance...

Happy dance?

The smallest step

Sometimes the only way to start something is to figure out the smallest step you can take right now...

The first thing I heard was the sound of the rain pounding on my window.  It's still dark outside.  My comforter is a snuggly cocoon.  About a thousand different reasons come to mind for burrowing deeper and staying in bed.  But...one thought elbows its way to the front of the line...commitment.  You made a commitment - what's your commitment worth?  Before I could pummel this voice into submission, I found myself answering "a lot - let's do this."  I'm not a morning person (this is an understatement), nor am I a runner by nature, so I asked myself - "what's the smallest thing I can do right now towards my goal?"  Put one foot on the floor.  OK - I can do that.

Thump.  One foot hits the floor (the rest of me still under the blankets).  Thump - second foot.  How long can I keep these blankets on and pretend I'm going back to sleep?  Maybe I can send my bottom half out running while my top half stays in bed? 

I keep asking myself "now what's the smallest thing you can do?"  Open eyes half way.  Turn on some music.  Put on one sock.  Put on the other.  One by one I focused on the smallness of each next step.  Honestly, I was more surprised than anyone to find myself outside and running within about 20 minutes.  Once I was out there, I hit my stride and was like "hell yeah!  I'm runnin' in the rain!  I kick ass...whoohoo!" (Well, until I got scared by the deer in the road...then I kind of lost my cool exterior.)

But the biggest thing I did this morning was to take that first small step.  After that, the chances of me turning back diminished significantly.

Is there something you've been putting off doing?  Some project that seems daunting?  Try to think of the smallest possible step you can take to move it forward...you might be surprised where it takes you.