Learning Revisited.

We have all been alone in our car trying to figure out what the next big step in our journey should be. What is that one thing that we can take hold off that will add to or change your life. It's daunting and frankly, has anyone ever come up with an answer?

I would like you to take that responsibility off your shoulders.

Imagine you are no longer responsible for having to know?

That you have accepted the fact that you cannot answer these questions with more of the same thinking.

It's like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders isn't it?  Suddenly, there is no reason to brood, be stressed, or feel left behind. Having to know the answer is a huge burden that limits our thinking, creates judgement and leaves us feeling inadequate.

So imagine now that you are relieved of knowing.  What's next?


Well, I would like you to consider that you start the discovery process on how you learn.  What does
learning without the lens of "knowing" look like for you?

Perhaps we need to pause there for a second to really understand what that means.  Learning without a sense of knowing means looking at a problem without bias without the infliction of history or to be blunt - without your version of truth.

What could learning without the sense of knowing, look like?

Do you remember when you were learning to drive?  You had seen it done and you had a sense of knowing what needed to be done but then you got behind the wheel and realized you knew absolutely nothing.  How exciting was it?  Do you remember that feeling in your stomach, the sense of fear and joy at the same time?  You couldn't believe you were actually doing it!  Learning without knowing..  it's such an exciting thing!

So, why as adults, do we stop learning?  And, yes, I realize, we read articles, books or go to courses. But we typically do this to either find agreement with our knowing or expand our current knowing.

I do not have a ten step process to what this should or could look like but only ask that you consider this as part of the learning.

So instead of asking yourself "what do I do next?" maybe you should ask yourself (and everybody you know) "What are you learning these days?"

Work-Life Balance, May You Rest in Peace | Working Mother

Work-Life Balance, May You Rest in Peace | Working Mother



One of the best reads on Work-life balance out there!  Thank you Julie Teahan!  Look forward to cheering you on!



How do you juggle all that you are responsible for?  My fear is that everything becomes a checklist and one day we look up and realize that we have lost connection with the parts we love the most.  That we end up excited that the list was mostly done and the kids rooms are clean, but we haven't grown roots.



What can you give up in order to feel connected?

Finding Purpose as a GenX

The majority of us have grown up with parents who have had life long careers with 1 or 2 companies, worked 9 to 5 and came home with either dirty hands and sore backs or briefcases full of paperwork. We are now being enlightened by younger generations who are living experiences rather than focusing on investment portfolio's.  They are living remotely around the world while creating a work life ecosystem that doesn't include just one company or a single hobby.

Generation Xer's (1964 - 1981) are the Bridge Generation, we are the intersection of Risk Management and Innovation.

We've been raised to mitigate risk, invest in property and markets and always ensure you have an emergency fund.  But, we are fascinated by those younger who are living in Asia part time, managing 2-3 work contracts remotely and are making decisions based on a 120 year life span.

What does it all mean for us?  Some would argue that we have the best of both worlds - a nest egg and regular adventure travel (scheduled and planned accordingly of course).  But, we are also in a tug of war with ourselves.

We are checking off the lists of our elders while our hearts and souls are craving more.

We are digging to find meaning, to find out how to be more agile, how we can leverage all that we have worked for to do something that is meaningful.

Enter the Purpose Revolution.  It's one of those universal ideas that reaches in to multiple corners of your day and while I don't think it's supposed to alter your life immediately, it certainly puts a different lens on everyday interactions with your work, family, friends and yes, even strangers.

With Purpose Statement solidified, you are now living with it but not necessarily through it.  What does this mean?

For us it probably means that our purpose needs to be tested, it means we want to mitigate the risk of giving up too much for an unknown.  That we need to test it out to ensure it's truth.  And while some people may be able to throw caution to the wind, quit their job and become cannabis farmers.  Many GenXers need to have a plan A, B and C.

Have you thought through your Purpose Plan?
Are you comfortable with the idea of what it means?
How can we live it without uprooting our whole lives?

Welcome to my Purpose Journey.  It's not as scary as it looks and you don't have to give up everything you worked for....

A Cultural Shift

After spending many years in the Customer Experience Trenches, I think we are starting to feel the earth shift every so slightly.  It's the rumblings of a culture shift.  And while, yes, you could say the Google led the charge on this somewhere in the late 90's, it's more impressive that they continue to stick to their 10 Things They Know Are True.

What do you think it would take to see the culture of some of our largest, oldest and stodgiest organizations change?  What would it take for the CEO's of the top 3 car manufacturers to rethink the private jet to a bail out meeting?  Not even for the sake of perception was commercial airlines considered.

As much as I can appreciate the constant one-liners as reminders of what we should do philosophically, I need more practicality!  I need to understand what a shift in culture looks like.  What does Trust look like in organizations? What starts the Groundswell?   Here are a few of my thoughts.

 ASK and LISTEN!

What would happen if you asked your stakeholders/employees/customers and community:

• Why do you come to work everyday?
• What do your Promoting customers say about your organization?  
• What does that community want to see you be when you grow up?  
• What do the most engaged employees and teams say about each other?

You bet that there is a culture - you just haven't asked! There are reasons your employees come to work everyday outside of a paycheck. So seek and you will find..  as long as you are actually listening!

Listening has been a buzz word for a while, I think stating a few things about listening is important. You need to unearth positive reasons, understand them, celebrate them and use them.  You cannot do this effectively if:

• You have pre-defined outcomes  
• You are keeping up a political game
• You are not inclusive of everyone

In other words, if you are going to commit, commit fully and openly.  Show up with Integrity, be trustworthy and honest. 

ACT and ENGAGE

We all are aware of the horrors of companies that don't respond to feedback.  Both employees and customers have fallen victim to feedback silence.  Make this your first change and actually do something with the feedback you are given!  Communicate that you are in the discovery process. That you are using their feedback to build a company they can TRUST.

Take your biggest advocates and ask them to take on a Leadership Role in Discovery Process.  Ask a new question on your existing surveys - "would you be willing to be part of our Culture Discovery Panel?"

BE the CHANGE

The journey of this "who am I" process starts from within.  How do you want to lead?  Are you truly open and trusting of the opinions you will hear?  Can you see perspectives through multiple lens? Can you Lead with Trust and Openness.  If that is what you are expecting your employees to do, then be that change.

For the sake of what?

Every now and then, I take a step back to adjust the lens through which I see experiences.  It's very easy for me to get caught up in the real-time measurement and proactive improvement of experiences causing a complete lack of focus on the end game.

I do however, take a step back on occasion and ask the big burning question: for the sake of what?  I spend time peeling off the blinders, navigate through the forest and allow myself the time to re-evaluate the ultimate goal to ensure that it still should be.,.well..a goal.

Recently, I read a post by Bernadette Jiwa titled  "Where is your Magic"  regarding the experience of the journey.  If you haven't subscribed to The Story of Telling blog, I highly recommend it.  Great short little insights that are easy to read while waiting for the subway or your coffee.  It deeply resonated with me both from a consulting perspective but also on a personal level.

The idea that humans enjoy the thrill of the chase, we like investing in things, we enjoy the little rewards.  We don't mind standing in line or paying a premium if there is a good vibe, a perfectly packaged purchase and of course, social media bragging rights (#lastlunecroissant).  We ultimately, prefer it to be that way sometimes!  It wouldn't be "special" if I could get the same purchase out of a vending machine or if there was an endless supply.

There are many companies that have been able to create this magic:  Apple, Porter Airlines and your local bakery or coffee shop.  Does your company have a small distinction that you can exploit?  Can you take the fact that customers wait for 20 minutes and turn it into something worthwhile? Perhaps snacks or entertainment for the kids on Saturday morning?  A Ted Talk as your hold music?

Creating the magic instead of a hassle is not necessarily about speeding up but turning that pain point into a reward.  That is where magic happens.

Streaking to the Quad a Ritual of a Lost Deal

Recently, I was asked "In your career, what is your most impressive accomplishment?"  After some serious thought and banter back and forth, my answer was "streaking to the quad."  As you can imagine I got quite the eye roll, but it launched me into this story.

I can truly say, I love my work and have always felt fulfilled by the chase, the consult, the big win.

You know that big win?  The contract signed at the 11th hour and the whole company was cheering and chanting! You were recognized at the quarterly meeting, awarded with more cheers and shoulder slaps.  You thank your team because you couldn't have done it without them!

But what happens when you lose the big deal? It get's real and it gets personal.

You watch your team scatter, your executive committee looks at you over the rim of their glasses while shaking their head in disappointment. You are left alone with the shame and guilt.  You slowly open Salesforce and Close/Lost the deal of a century.

It's pretty raw actually.

But there is this odd moment of silence between the shock and horror of a deal gone bad and the shift of focus onto the next opportunity.  I have embraced this odd little space of transition as my time to be "Streaking to the Quad."

I started using the corporate radio silence as a time to reflect on what I could have done better, what I should have paid attention to, what will change the next time, etc.  I am, in many ways, streaking to the quad.   I am exposing "the cracks" and running with them for a while, letting everything just jiggle around a bit to see where it lands.  Understand that maybe if I had just picked up the phone instead of sending another email, it could have made the difference.   If I had just adjusted the payment schedule in a different way, maybe that would have helped.  Now the gears are turning and I'm speeding up, I'm getting excited again! I can do this!  I know exactly what I will do next time this happens!

As I turn the corner off Pity Avenue to Action Street, I can see the Quad off in the distance.  It's in this final stretch when the true beauty of  my exposure and reflection are realized.

"I actually lost this one "better" than the one before."

That I did take my previous failures into consideration all the times before and in my heart of hearts I can honestly say, I gave it everything I had. I turned the contract around quicker, I had included the additional room in the implementation schedule, I coached the appropriate challenges, etc.   I can stop running and be so proud of my progress.  That maybe the only reason why this deal was a deal in the first place was because my experiences shaped it into one. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I have finally reached the quad.

I have reached that point where I am no longer looking back in shock and horror, I am no longer exposed and feeling the elements of a deal gone wrong.  I have put my armor back on, added an additional piece of ammunition and I'm ready to face the next deal.

I call it Streaking to the Quad, you can call it what you like but it really is the only process that helps me become more in tune with each deal I carry, each hurdle I jump and each pothole I fall into along the way.

I think we often forget how important our past experiences are to our future opportunities; about how our growth shapes the things around us.  We are very good at taking past experiences and using them as excuses but how good are we at being mindful of our experiences and how they shape our successes?  After all, it can't all be just good luck!

Quality vs. Quantity

June 30th, the day before CASL Law takes effect in Canada.  June 30th, the day after the biggest street party, Worldpride.  There is an eery silence in the City of Toronto.  Is it that we are all hungover from the festivities?  Perhaps, we are all waiting for Rob Ford to make his grand re-
entrance?  hmmm..maybe not that last one.

Worldpride, for all of its fantastic glory (oh and it was fantastic), was covered corner to corner with Sponsorships.  These companies weren't afraid to show their true colours.  It almost felt like it was a dare. "I double dog dare you to logo a thong and hire Toronto's hottest people to dance the day away.  They "put it all out there" in the truest sense of the word.  TD must of got a list of Toronto's most beautiful and put them all in the cutest green daisy dukes I have ever seen.

But after the hangovers subside, the new friend requests are accepted and the streets of Toronto get ready for Canada Day, we have a new challenge ahead of us. CASL Law will commence.

What does this mean to Marketers?  It means you have to step it up.  You have to actually EARN your subscribers, it means you need to focus on Quality not Quantity.  It mean that you have to finally pull together everything that you learned in school and start understanding who your customers are, what they value in your brand and how important they are.

You want to keep your job?  You now have to start earning your keep.  Show the world that your brand is better than just another email blast with call to action.  Show the world that your brand has value and that it means something and that you give back!

Worldpride corporate sponsorships proved that you can do it for events.  Show us you can do it everyday.