More work. Less time. Interruptions. Ambiguity. What can you do about it?

Relief is closer than you think and it all comes down to balancing priorities in and out of work. Since our work and life are interrelated, it's an integration of the two, not a separation. Both need to be worked simultaneously. Some look at this as "Work Life Allocation" versus a "Balance" as there will always be times when one may have increased demands over the other so prioritization is key.

First, reaching our goal must be managed with the inclusion of all components, paying careful attention to repercussions the decisions in one area, can make on another.

Second, the focus is not on perfect balance, specifically a 50-50 balance between work and life. The goal is to gather information , resources and ideas from others, to assist in recognizing the underlying obstacles that may interfere with or slow down reaching satisfaction and success.

"Balance, or whatever word you use, is just the result of other actions taken. Your focus should just be on self-awareness and the determination of what will lead to a fulfilled life and just work towards that, the results will follow."

Managing your time is a big part of all this, check out this article "30 Time Management Tips for Work-Life Balance" by Frances Booth. When my wife and I started a family, calls from the day care with a sick child happened all too often. I quickly learned that in order to keep my job and my new child (one would have to go :-)), I had to come up with a solution. I started a system where I processed my email each morning, built a  list of tasks either in Task Manager or on a separate spreadsheet, then I would sort the tasks from most important to least. I'd start cranking out the list, as I accomplished the most critical items (especially the ones I'd been putting off), my stress level would decrease and the ability for me to handle an interruption (either personal or work-related) in my schedule would increase. I still use this method today. 

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Hire

They can talk the talk, but can they walk the walk? There's a handful of candidate types; the person who can talk their way into a job, but may not meet the job requirements, the person who's a little more reserved and not comfortable with boasting, but could be a rock star. Then there's a wide range of combinations. Have you ever hired a great candidate for the job, but when they arrive, it's as if they're not the same person?
 

How the candidate performs within the workplace and reacts to interpersonal dynamics, is key to the hiring decision. These two conditions can make or break even the best candidate (on paper).

A combination of interview and on-the-job assessment will increase the likelihood of a good match. See how the candidate does, how they interact with the team and how they manage within the environment. Solid performance can be affected by the  environment - the only way to test this is to see how they do, how they interact. As a bonus, if the candidate is willing to contract for six months, it gives both parties time to really assess and know that they've made the right decision.

Connecting Tweets to Tell a Story and Build Community

While many companies are only connected with customers 'online', Starbucks is in a unique position to have connections 'offline' in the community of coffee shops (the "third place") and online.

Virtual interaction is bringing the Starbucks in-store experience online. As outlined in the story by Jeff Bullas, a report was conducted by Altimeter which identified four key elements crucial for online engagement between Starbucks and their customer base. First, success requires contact with customers through consistently updated engagements within blogs or Facebook. Second, interaction by multiple contacts and levels within an organization brings a wider customer reach.
Third, targeting what your industry and customer is looking for in an online experience and fourth, focus on key areas that work, don't spread yourself too thin.

The offline experience at Starbucks holds new opportunities in addition to the established retail outlets. Is it time to take it to the streets with mobile coffee options? With the recent emergence of food trucks, why not mobile coffee trucks or boats for that matter? This is the opportunity to blend directly into communities where needed, making market adjustments simply by going down a different street.

Howard Schultz is changing the face of how corporations think about social responsibility. He's taking charge with the Create jobs for USA fund, helping American's get back to work. Jobs need to be created and can be done through innovative approaches both online and offline.

Who knows, mobile coffee options could just be the answer that Starbucks customer, Kristen
Chase is looking for when she asks: "Why hasn't Starbucks invented delivery yet?

This story inspired by Tweets from @jeffbullas, @amberdaviseyes, @cnnsotu, and @thatkristen

To Be Heard

If you are looking for inspiration as you define your future, then make a point to watch To Be Heard, the story of three teens from the South Bronx struggling to change their lives through writing and performing poetry, using this creativity to change their circumstances.

The film opens with the quote:

"If you don't learn to write your own life story, someone else will write it for you."
This is the truth. We are each responsible for our own destiny. We have the power to make changes and if we choose not to make these changes, we at least have the power to control how we react to our circumstances. I found parallels to my own life while watching this film - it applies to all of us.

You can watch the trailer at http://www.tobeheard.org/

Join the Zero Email Journey

CEO Thierry Breton of Atos, a French information technology company is preparing his company for a future of no internal email. In this day of constant email communication, seems impossible, right? Certainly not, it's as possible as the introduction of email a couple of decades ago.

This eradication of email is a response to the massive amounts of data we are accumulating. According to Atos, it is estimated that managers spend between 5 and 20 hours a week just reading and writing emails. In addition to processing email, middle managers spend more than 25 percent of their time searching for information.

Email at Atos is being replaced by improved communication applications as well as new collaboration and social media tools, with an emphasis on social business solutions. This is a response to the fact that online social networking is now more popular than email and search, plus future generations are choosing alternative methods to communicate.

For expanded details, check out the original ABC News article and the Atos site for Smart Organization and the Zero Email blog. Keep tabs on this company as they are leading us into a more effective way to communicate and collect/retrieve information.

Connecting the Community

Each time we log onto Facebook or any social networking site, we are observing the value of people through vast amounts of information, interactions, and especially pictures. Pictures of family, friends, interests, etc. We can associate even a stranger as a whole person who lives a full life; involved, giving, friendly, interested, loved. In fact, increased compassion and understanding for humanity is being created by Facebook and other social networking sites.

To illustrate, we recently had a tragedy in our local community where a fellow soccer coach died suddenly on the soccer field while coaching his young team. News of this tragedy spread immediately through texts, and posts on the community blog. Once the name of the individual was released, I was prompted to go out to Facebook, search, and see for myself who this individual was. What I found was a complete person, not just an anonymous stranger. This immediate connection to a member of my community was made specifically through the power of social networking. Pictures of this wife and family, daily interactions, vacations, interests, accomplishments, connections to local community, an online legacy. This person in a sense was no longer a stranger, but brought a greater sense of compassion for what his family and friends were going through with this terrible loss.

If I can be left with a sense of connection to a perfect stranger through small bits of information, how would this increased visibility effect those who I interact with every day. How could understanding someone's interests, and especially values, help with collaboratively accomplishing great things in the work place or community. Is social networking enriching our sense of humanity?

You are Just as Powerful

When I saw the Dalai Lama in Seattle at Seeds of Compassion in 2008, what struck me as quite astonishing is when he said, "I want to introduce myself to you as just a human being, you and I are the same" I thought huh? How's this possible, he's the Dalai Lama, why am I here? It got me thinking about the difference between an average citizen who has something to say and someone 'established within the public network' who has something to say.

With close to 7 billion people in the world, the ratio of public figures, political, governmental, and through pop culture is miniscule. Why then do we put so much stake in people who have made a lifestyle out of being in the public eye? In fact, when you dissect the list of public figures down to those with legitimacy, the percentage is infinitesimal.

I often joke that I'm going to market little dolls with the likeness of my daughter Dorothy, why not? Barbie isn't even modeled after a real person, and look at her success.

If you are hesitating to share your thoughts, ideas and goals, remind yourself of the small population we listen to on a daily basis (whether we like it or not). Go ahead, create your platform and speak, be known, this world needs more people like you. There's really not much competition.

Crisis Management: What Organizations Can Learn From the Emergency Room

I had the unfortunate experience of spending two hours in an emergency room with my son years ago. Fortunately, my son's injuries were not ranked critical compared to what was happening around us, which meant we had some time on our hands. During those long two hours, as we sat and waited to be transferred up stairs, there was what sounded like nonstop chaos ensuing behind the curtain which would blow back and forth with the rooms energy, providing glimpses of trauma. However, it was an organized chaos, the likes of which I had never seen.

While on one hand, being in a major metropolitan ER was a nightmare, on the other hand, I learned a great deal. The precision at which the many members of the team; doctors, nurses, surgeons, and paramedics, came together was brilliant. After seeing this, what I always thought was realistic choreography on Gray's Anatomy was a mere attempt. The real life scenario I was witnessing cannot be choreographed, it is a natural flow of carefully planned crisis management.

The calm at which these professionals moved about the ER collecting supplies, comforting loved ones, and gathering clues of the accidents, all while tending to the patient - was phenomenal. In between the constant rotation of crisis, I couldn't help but wonder what it would take to enact this same intense collaboration within other organizations. Many companies and organizations act like they are saving lives, but are they organized to save lives if they had to? Or realistically, save the business? Do teams have plans in place for when there is a business crisis? Do they know how to react within seconds if needed?

Once home, I did some research on the internet to see if there were any companies offering ER related training to organizations and workgroups. After a few searches I came across Friday Night at the ER. This is a simulation game for people to learn to collaborate and innovate while considering the effects of their actions on the larger system. The game simulates the challenge of managing a hospital during a 24-hour period. Players perform distinct functions, but they come to realize they also depend on one another. This is Applied Systems Thinking and collaboration across borders in action. This is ensuring that your team has a plan in place for when crisis does occur, or if you just want to be an effective, agile team. For the same time you spend in the ER waiting room, you can increase your effectiveness, check it out.

One Day, Processing Email Will Not Be The Focus of Our Day

What does the future of email look like? Who is charting the course? Aside from helpful add-ons, email has yet to see a major transformation. Given the large volume of information exchange and the increased time to process, the tool is in much need of enhancements; aka a major transformation, a revolution if you will.

Chris Anderson, TED Curator, drafted the Email Charter, a concise ten step list providing users with some guidelines for a more effective email communication, which you should share with everyone you know. Chris provides great tips on managing large volumes of email, for example keeping emails short, tightening the thread, and eliminating open ended questions. While email users catch onto this and incorporate these steps into their process, the enhancements need to be built into the technology - email needs to become smarter. Email needs to process itself prior to coming into your inbox or maybe there won't be an inbox in the future. Perhaps all forms of communication; email, texting, blogging, tweeting, will be hosted in a collaborative tool.

Large companies such as Google and Microsoft have provided the most commonly known email tools, however there are small companies and startups such as ActiveInbox, Shortmail, Xobni, Huddle, 410 Labs, Producteev, Smak, Taskforce and iDoneThis, that are contributing as well with great products, increasing the effectiveness towards how we communicate, track actions/tasks, and collaborate. These companies, along with visionaries like Chris Anderson, are part of the reconstruction efforts to push communication forward. The email revolution needs to be in the commitments of every technology company that truly wants to make an impact in productivity. With the amount of information that is being exchanged and the time it takes to collect and respond, the need for effective mechanisms to manage (quickly) is a requirement.

Work Life Balance Needs a New Approach

Another resuscitation of the work life balance debate is on with the latest results from the Bloomberg Discrimination Suit. This debate needs a new approach, how about…... balance is the result of many actions, most of which should come from the employee. It's time employees took stock of their own situation. Because frontline employees are "in the weeds" it's their responsibility to communicate up where the issues are, suggestions for improvement, and requests for additional resources. All of this upward communication is required to improve process and working conditions so employees can work smarter. It is managements responsibility to review, interpret, assess, and respond back to these suggestions. Once the employees have been heard, they can assess the results and determine if they are in the right job/organization. It's a two way street, balance should not be the focal point of the discussion, as it is really just the result of many other actions.

Did Jim Anderson Even Know His Kids?

The Boston College Center for Work & Family studied nearly 1,000 American fathers with the results showing that these fathers care deeply about their work and their families, but struggle to be active, engaged parents while investing significant energy in successful careers. Overcoming these struggles requires give and take and almost always sacrifices, but there are proven benefits.

I recently left my full time job at a Fortune 500 company. This decision was prompted by the need to stop the train, take a look around and determine my next career direction. I'll preface the remainder of this entry to say that no joke, it is not easy to stay at home with three children full time, I understand why my wife's alternate personality "Margaret" would greet me at the door (at times pulling a cork out of a wine bottle with her teeth), I didn't get it then, I completely get it now. Never underestimate the amount of work it takes to operate a home and care for the children, never.

Call it a form of "Freaky Friday" but the transition of sole breadwinner to my wife was a major switch for both of us and at times challenging for many reasons. I took "working from home" to a whole new level. Initially my homecare activities would be rewarded with 6-7 hours of free time, certainly well worth the craze at the start and end of the day. However, once summer came, and school released all the children, the free time dwindled to almost nil. Now this is an entirely different story. Still, I am grateful for this experience and certainly thank my lovely wife for her support and understanding.

Even while working full time, I always made it a priority to be part of my children's activities. In my case, in order to do so, I know I sacrificed career opportunities; this was however, a conscious decision. I believe that the formative years is the time to be involved in the children and their activities. This involvement early on in life will have tremendous positive effects on the child's future socially and developmentally. Now that the children have a solid base, I can apply clear focus on my career.

In accordance with a key finding in the BCCWF study, not only does this interaction benefit the children, my participation in activities involving coaching sports, or educational activities all contribute to personal skill development that can transfer to the workplace, skill development does not only happen in the workplace.

Another key finding in the Boston College study states fathers reported that work caused more conflict with family life than family life caused conflict with work. The key contributor is the lack of full acceptance of flexible work arrangements (FWA); flex time, work from home, compressed work week. The continual evolution and acceptance of FWA, will reduce the amount of this conflict between family life and work. A catalyst to this change will certainly be the increased development and advancement of networking and productivity tools and the fact that future generations, for example Gen Y, will continue to join the work force, altering the traditional workplace as we know it.

The reduction in the struggle between family and work is possible, but will require give and take and almost always sacrifices but will pay off with proven benefits.

Are Managers Becoming Individual Contributors with Direct Reports? The Importance of Coaching

Managers are responsible for overseeing a team, yet they are also being given responsibility to own projects or special assignments, much like an individual contributor. With these additional responsibilities, the core management duties can take on less focus. Coaching is fundamentally one of the most important aspects of management, and unfortunately can be one of the first management responsibilities to be reduced due to time constraints.

Employees need encouragement and empowerment. Coaching takes time and energy, coaching means putting yourself out there, coaching means setting aside time to make it happen. Coaching will empower your employees, giving you even more resources at your disposal to distribute the large volumes of work.

This link contains a list of excuses often used for not meeting the commitment to coach. Do any of these sound familiar? What advice can you provide other managers to reduce these excuses?

Are Cynics the Secret to Success?

Dictionary.com says "a cynic has an attitude of scornful or jaded negativity, especially a general distrust of the integrity or professed motives of others". In other words, a person who is constantly complaining, but not doing anything to resolve the problems. Here's where the positive side of a cynic comes in…... can a cynic be used for innovation and idea generation? Let's face it, if there are no complaints or objections, then there is no indication that a change needs to be made. Change can come in the form of a ground breaking idea, product, service, you name it.

Could these negative thoughts be used by positive change masters? Can we pick up new ideas and innovations from the cynics? Next time someone is complaining or ridiculing something, take a minute to detect whether there is an idea or innovation to be found in the situation that you, as the positive change master can take and run with.

For more information on the history of cynicism, check out this fun link hosted by Rick Bayan.

Positive Attitude

A positive attitude in the office is critical to keeping the morale up; however, the opposite typically takes place around the water cooler. Instead of joining forces and approaching the problems in a positive light, negativity breeds. I’ll be the first to admit it, the conversation can be pretty entertaining resulting in a few laughs, but this only creates a false sense of acceptance over the situation, the problems are still there, just humorous.

People want to be around positive attitudes; it really does create a much more productive environment. Attached are a few links to some sites with best practices to review and put into action. One of these actions includes taking the negative thoughts, writing them down, and then re-writing with a positive perspective. Go ahead and try this, then respond to this post with the results.

The Powers of a Positive Attitude

How to Keep a Positive Attitude

Utilize the Frontlines

Your front-line employees have a wealth of knowledge that can only be found at the lower levels of an organization. Utilize this information to your advantage - you'll be surprised by what you find out. Often, valuable information, does not always float upwards to top management. Take a walk down the hall, pop into someone's office and ask a few questions. Read this article by Carol Bartz, CEO of Yahoo! The key takeaway is the directive to listen to your workforce, really listen. By tapping into these employees, you will find a wealth of ideas that are not just found at higher levels of an organization, but at times from the most unlikeliest of candidates.