Maybe

egg bound and gagged
Originally uploaded by jonny2love

• Maybe you're wrong.
• Maybe they're right.
• Maybe you shouldn't try.
• Maybe it's a waste of time.
• Maybe you will fail.
• Maybe it's too risky.
• Maybe you won't get the job anyway.
• Maybe you shouldn't care.
  
• Maybe it is impossible.
• Maybe it isn't worth it.
  
• Maybe it won't work.
  
• Maybe someone else will do it.
  
• Maybe someone else will step up.
  
• Maybe it's not your place.
  
• Maybe you shouldn't speak up.
  

Maybe, but how will you know?

Graveyard of Good Ideas

Graveyard
Originally uploaded by (Erik)

I was talking with a friend of mine, Steve, who made the comment that often good ideas go to the graveyard of good ideas in large corporations. The idea intrigued me. He has a point.

Over at Tim Jahn's blog there is a great example of a good idea being sent straight to the graveyard. Why? Because ShutterBooth seemed more concerned about keeping up with their competitors than setting themselves apart. Plain and simple.

Think about it:

• Anytime you're told, "That's a good idea. We'll look into it." by your manager, there's a good chance your idea is going to the graveyard.
  
• When a large corporation calls in consultants to advise them on what they can do to improve their workplace then pay the consultant and say, "We'll certainly review your suggestions.", those suggestions are on their way to the graveyard.
  
• If there is no follow up on your presentation, your ideas are on the fast pace toward the graveyard.
  

So what to do if you have a good idea, but it seems destined for the graveyard? In my opinion you have a few things to consider.

• Let it die. Sometimes a good idea isn't that good at all. Be honest with yourself and others if you come to this realization and let it die.
• Go around the naysayers. It might be your peer. It could be your manager. It really doesn't matter. If you are persistent enough you can work around the naysayer. You just have to be smart about it. Get others on board. Slowly implement pieces of your plan. It can happen.
  
• Establish trust. If you haven't proven that you are trustworthy, or that your co-workers can rely on you to get the simple things finished, your idea won't have legs. You may have the best idea in the world, but without trust, it will go to the graveyard.
  
• Build a team around your idea. You may not be able to implement your proposals company wide, but you might be able to assemble a team (or tribe). Work within the parameters of your company, but work with your team to reflect your values, ideas, and goals for the company. If it flourishes, soon enough, everyone else will take note.
  

Have a great idea? Have some changes that need to be made? Are you working to improve your company? Make sure you're doing what you can to avoid the graveyard of good ideas.

Foto Finish Friday

Navy Pier, originally uploaded by Stuck in Customs.

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

Most People Aren't Paying Attention

I'm not here
Originally uploaded by aknacer

Most people aren’t paying attention.

Jay Leno exploits this fact and we all laugh along.

Go up to people on the street and ask who the finalists are on American Idol and most will be able to tell you. Walk into a grocery store and ask the cashiers the latest on Britney Spears, Jessica Simpson, or Paris Hilton and many would be able to give you some information.

Ask someone who the vice president of the U.S. is and you may get a plethora of answers. Ask someone why they go to the church they go to and they may not be able to provide an answer other than they just always have. Ask someone who Abraham Lincoln was and what he accomplished and you may hear all kinds of clueless answers.

It's not because of a lack of information. Human beings have never ever had so much information available to them at their finger tips. The Internet is full of information. Libraries are easily accessible. Books are being printed on anything and everything you could imagine.

So what's the deal? Most people aren't paying attention. At least when it comes to some of the more important things in life. What Britney Spears does tomorrow isn't going to have an impact on your life. Yet half a million people follow her on Twitter and watch the shows that tell you where she is and what she's doing every waking moment.

What makes you think people are paying attention to you? Are you getting through the distractions and noise? Is your business something people are paying attention to? Is your congregation being active in getting through all the noise? Are you providing a service people want and need?

Most people aren't paying attention. You've got to realize that, then change it.

Desperate Times

they call me Mellow Yellow....
Originally uploaded by Amadika

"Desperate times call for desperate measures." ~ Unknown

I beg to differ slightly. Most of the time desperate times do not call for desperate measures.

Think about your own life. In your most desperate moments, what was usually the best reaction? Was it quick, desperate action out of the emotion of the moment or was it a clear, well thought out solution? I don't know about you, but when I think about my more desperate moments in life, when I made a heat of the moment decision based on the emotion of the moment, I usually made a mistake. Sometimes that mistake made things even worse.

• The person desperate for love and affection may take the desperate action of marrying someone that will make their life even more desperate.
  
• The person desperate for spirituality, but unsure of how to obtain it, may take the desperate action of following a charismatic leader into a cult.
  
• The person desperate for fast money may turn to spam and other unscrupulous activities.
  
• The person out of work and desperate for a job may lie on their resume or application, causing themselves more headaches when some of the facts are checked out.
  

I could go on, but you get the point. Any more to add?

Foto Finish Friday

| happy days |, originally uploaded by winnie's human.

It would seem spring is right around the corner. I don't know about you, but I'm ready!

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

Leadership FAIL

Originally uploaded by Noah Kalina

When is it appropriate to suggest someone commit suicide? Is it ever?

"The first thing that would make me feel a little bit better about them is if they follow the Japanese example and come before the American people and take that deep bow and say 'I'm sorry' and do either one of two things, resign or go commit suicide." ~ Senator Chuck Grassley (In response to the recent AIG bonus uproar)

When is it appropriate to suggest someone commit suicide? It never is.

I think it's obvious the country and the world alike needs strong, committed leadership. Too often what were getting is empty, absurd rhetoric.

Red Line

Originally uploaded by Breath of Life

Back when I worked at Wal-Mart we had a practice we called “red-lining”. If we asked a cashier to “red line” we were asking them to go stand at the front of their aisle and attract customers to their register. In some stores there was an actual red line painted on the floor. The cashiers who did this when they were slow were always the most productive. The cashiers who hid next to their registers and rarely left their station to red line were the least productive.

The reason, of course, is simple. The cashiers who were aggressive and actively engaged in drawing customers to their line by standing out front were going to bring in more customers every time. Those who were timid or just too lazy to red line were going to be overlooked by the customer looking for a line to check out in.

In life, no matter what aspect, if you want to achieve much of anything you have to put forth some effort. You need to be aggressive and actively engaged. If you're going to be productive you need to work to produce results.

It's a simple and easy thing to understand, but too many choose to hide.

The thing is, in the busiest part of the day very few cashiers had to red line. The customers were lining up before the cashier could get a free moment. Economically we've had a good streak for some time now. Very few have been out of work. If you were jobless for very long, we'd most likely think something was wrong with you. It was busy and it was easier.

Today things are different. Things aren't nearly as easy or certain. You're going to need to be aggressive and actively engaged. You cannot afford to be timid, lazy, or unmotivated. If you want a job, if you want to keep your job, or start a new business you're going to have to get out there and red line.

The Road You Travel

Walking alone
Originally uploaded by moriza

Where are you going? Are you happy about the road you have taken? Are you unhappy about the road you are traveling? Was it by choice? Was it by chance? Was it by circumstance?

No matter your answer to those questions, you can always stop. Then you can turn around or choose to go a different direction. It's really much easier than people would like you to think.

So what's my point? That you have a choice. Even if you've been traveling down the same road for years. You have the choice to change, to continue, to turn around.

"You can take a road that gets you to the stars, I can take a road that will see me through." ~ Nick Drake

Foto Finish Friday

Old meets New, originally uploaded by clarity25.

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

Choices at Work

Originally uploaded by Breath of Life

"Individuals who push their organizations, who inspire other individuals to change the rules, thrive." ~ Seth Godin in Tribes

You have a few choices of who you will be when you go to work each day. It doesn't matter whether you work for a small business or a large corporation. All of them have to do with attitude and who you've decided to be.

• You can go to work and be the cynic. He likes to pretend he is being realistic. He's the one who says, "You've not worked here as long as I have. Things will never change." when you present a better way of doing things. He's the one who will find something wrong with the new policies put into action, because management would never create a policy for the good of its employees. In short, the cynic will try to discourage you.
• You can go to work and be the sleepwalker. She likes to go through the motions with very little interruption. She's the one that panics when she is challenged to learn something new, because it disrupts her comfort zone. She's the one who is there because she has to pay the bills. She is watching the clock and waiting for the moment she can go to her next break, her lunch, and then home. In short, the sleepwalker will tempt you to be average because she appears to be so comfortable.
  

You have a few other options as well. You can be bitter, angry, victimized at every turn, resistant to change, and the list can go on and on. You'll be unhappy. You'll have numerous bad days at work.

The thing is, there is no reason to go to work and be any of those people. So you don't like your job? Get a new one. Change the one you're in. There's no reason to be sleepwalking.

So you feel as if you've been burned at some point in your career? Push through. Resist the temptation to be bitter and instead set things in motion to go around your setbacks.

Go to work with the intent to inspire others around you. Cultivate an atmostphere of teamwork. Change the culture if it needs to be challenged. It may require a complete change in your attitude, but it will be much better than the alternatives. Would it not?

7 Things To Do If You're NOT Laid Off

Day 152 :: and if the perfect spring is waiting somewhere, just take me there
Originally uploaded by Meredith_Farmer

With the current economy continuing in a state of decline, there is an abundance of information on what you should do if you find yourself out of work. I've even touched on it myself here and here. The problem is, that's what you should be doing if you find yourself laid off. What if you still have your job? What then?

Here are a few ideas:

1. Network - This is huge. Be out there creating relationships. At work and elsewhere. Help others. Give to others. Know someone out of work? Can you do something for them? Network, network, and network some more.
   
2. Create and show your value - If you're not already adding value to your workplace, start. You cannot assume your self-perceived value is known. You cannot afford to. Hint: Sitting around doing nothing, surfing the net, or not completing assigned tasks will not increase your value.
   
3. Resist the temptation to lay low - The temptation to lay low is stronger now than it has been in years. The thinking is, "Don't rock the boat, then when the layoffs come they won't even notice me." Wrong. You lay low, you could be the first one out the door. If it has to be asked of you, "What does he/she do?", I'd be worried.
   
4. Propose ways to cut fat, not jobs - Go to your boss, CEO, President and discuss the fat you see that could be cut. Figure out ways to be operate lean without cutting a large swath of people, then propose those ideas to someone who can make it happen. If you are the person who can make it happen, you should already be looking at these things. Right?
   
5. Make sure your resume is updated and ready - Has it been a while since you updated your resume? It's a good time to do some tweaking. Be ready to hand it out at any moment.
   
6. Keep an eye on available jobs - You should always keep your eyes open anyway. No matter the economic time. It's time to be paying attention to other opportunities, options, or directions. If your current job doesn't look to be very stable, start putting your resume out there. Apply for other jobs with companies that are more secure.
   
7. Get in touch with your entrepreneurial spirit - Get creative. Be innovative. Look for ways to create a steady cash flow. Identify a need and then provide the service. Some of the most innovative ideas have come out of tough economic times. Your entrepreneurial spirit is key to escaping economic troubles.

In short, prepare. Don't take your job for granted, but as Charlie Hoehn points out, you need to force yourself to swim.

A Little Perspective

This is a digression from my usual posts. Once you've watched this amazing video, I hope you'll understand why.



Thanks to Dawn Barnes who directed me to this video. Share it with others...

Foto Finish Friday

Jumping Around In Panama City, originally uploaded by drewmaniac.

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

20 Reasons I Despise Facebook Applications

9's & 10's
Originally uploaded by Fixed Image

Facebook, I love you, but you're bringing me down.

I don't know about you, but I grow tired of having to ignore Facebook's Applications. About a month ago I decided to just let them pile up to see how many I would get in a month's time. I received 71 application invites during that time. Don't get me wrong, some of them can be alright. Some are even positive (for charities, etc.). I have a couple on my account. But, for the most part I view them as silly and a waste of time. I realize I am probably in the minority, but it wouldn't hurt my feelings one bit if Facebook did away with allowing these applications.

Here are 20 Reasons I Despise Facebook Apps.

1. Best Friend Requests - We're Facebook friends. This does not mean we are best friends. In fact, we may not even be friends.
   
2. My Favorite '80's Hair - Guess what? I don't have a favorite '80's hair. I grew up in the 80's and I don't remember any of them being cool.
   
3. Relative Requests - This one is kind of nice, but I don't need an application to remind me that we're related.
   
4. MyCalendar (Birthdays) - Another one that isn't too bad, but Facebook tells me when your birthday is. I'll keep it that way.
   
5. Mafia Wars - If yous send me one more of these requests I'm gonna have my friend, Joey Bag o' Donuts, pay you a visit.
   
6. Knighthood Requests - Unless you're the Queen of England, no thanks.
   
7. Sketch Me - I don't care for these things at Disneyland. Why would I bother on Facebook?
8. Lil' Green Patch - Cabbage Patch Kids?
9. '80's High School Flashback - I may be old, but I wasn't in high school in the '80's. You were??!
   
10. Silver Dollar City Request - No, no, no!
    
11. Social Calendar - Want to hang out? Call me.
    
12. You're Cool - Thanks, but you didn't have to send me an application to let me know.
    
13. Star Wars Figures - Why does this even exist?
    
14. '80's Music - What is it with these applications and the '80's?
    
15. SuperPoke Pets - Send me with a "SuperPoke" anything, I'll ignore it every single time.
    
16. Dancing Bananas - Unless it's peanut butter jelly time, no thanks.
    
17. My Girls - Seriously? I was sent that? Have I mentioned that I believe most people invite indiscriminately? Case in point.
    
18. Optical Illusions - I wish it were.
    
19. Groupie Request - Ummm... no.
20. Snowball Fight - I hate snow. I hate snow even more if it comes by way of an application.

There were many more, but I just thought I'd highlight a few. Most are all in good fun and probably don't annoy most people like myself. But, as we found out last week, some of these applications being sent can be dangerous.

How about you? How do you feel about the Facebook Applications?

Sitting on the Sideline

.
Originally uploaded by barbara fabbri

No post here today, but I do have a guest post over at Thom Singer's blog Some Assembly Required. It's called Sitting on the Sideline and I invite you to go and read it.

I also invite you to check out Thom Singer's other posts. He is the author of three books on the importance of business professionals building their network, with two more books slated for release this year. If you can't tell, he is a busy guy. You can also connect with him on Twitter here.