I’ve been thinking about the connections between competition in sports and the business world. Guess some of it has to do with my father’s past ordeal in trying to stay competitive against giants with what was once a thriving business. Might also have something to do with the fact that most automated response messages I get when I submit resumes talks about the "competitiveness of today’s job market." When I think of competition, my mind usually gravitates toward the model that focuses on beating your opponent. This is a model that I most clearly understood growing up when I played sports. Winning was all about dominating the other person or team (and sometimes competition gets rough – I played with blue-collar country boys and you better bring some muscle along with skills…I have a twice-broken nose to prove it).

Problem was that I didn’t really have much muscle and when you’re a skinny kid you need to find less brutal games. So my father introduced me to golf and I fell in love with it. When I was ready, I competed in local tournaments and played in leagues with men twice and triple my age. Funny thing is that the concept of competition in golf is very different from competition in most other sports like basketball, football, or greco-roman wrestling. In these latter activities, the focus is squarely on the opponent with the objective of stopping them from scoring and winning. In golf, the focus of competition is very different.

When it comes to competing in the business world today, the golf model offers a far more productive and powerful way to grow ourselves and our organizations.

I remember one of the first tournaments I played. In high school, the format you played in was a foursome with three three other schools. I got smoked not because I was a poor player and didn’t have ability, but because I spent more time worrying about the opponent and their game. I kept trying to outdrive the others and make spectacularly impressive shots. This went on for a few matches and all I could do was shake my head and wonder why I wasn’t beating my opponents. What only occurred to me after my coach took me out for a practice round was that my understanding of what it was to compete was working heavily against me. Instead, I needed to readjust my competitive drive and turn it inward.

In golf, you’re not squaring off directly against the other competitors in the field – you compete against yourself and the course. Its a sport where winning means mastering your own craft, not worrying about what the other player is doing. Their game is out of your control. It’s also a sport where the every changing environment challenges you to contend with it. This, too, is out of your control.

Where do the connections play out in the work world?

One instance that comes to mind is in the career search. The fact is the job market is competitive where hundreds of candidates vie for the same position. You can’t go and bludgeon every one of your opponents in order to win. You can’t worry about what talents they possess, what skills they offer, what experience they bring with them. The only thing that is in your control is YOU. Like in golf, you have to spend time practicing on your resume and for your interviews; when it’s time to play, you can only worry about your own game.

Another instance is a common one that takes place within the organization. Consider the scenario where there is an opportunity for internal promotion to a top company position. The larger the company, the more numerous the field of competitors. I’ve seen and heard stories about the rugby scrums that developed among colleagues. Yet, the more time that the individuals spent focused on whether ‘Tom down the hall’ or ‘Tina in marketing’ were gaining an upper hand, the less time they had developing themselves and their own game. In this scenario, what happens when you win? Who do you try to beat now? And how have you grown yourself in the process – any new accomplishments to report?

There are many more examples, but probably the granddaddy of all of them is how businesses go after market share. The old, tired model has companies on a seek and destroy mission to bludgeon their opponents by any means necessary. This is competition viewed through the lens of primal fear.The fear is that if you don’t get your enemies out of the way first, they’ll eventually destroy you. Again, focusing on the opposition means taking valuable time away from improving from within. We can’t maintain our attention in more than one place for very long.

The best companies understand that competition is there to help us improve, not kill us. Consider the golf world’s response to Tiger Woods. In the aftermath of his earliest wins when he dominated his opponents, other players understood that they had to raise the level of their own games. Golfers like Vijay Singh and Phil Mickelson are now better players because of the effect that a newcomer had on their sport.

So, rather than condemning the competition, wishing it away, or trying to destroy it, welcome it. How else can we hope to improve who we are?

Welcome to those visiting from Scott Hodge’s blog. I’ve been blessed to have Scott offer up some really wonderful compliments about me and my writing. Ever since Weebleland, I’ve been impressed by his dedication to his own work and the beauty of taking over his father’s ministry. His post last month on the six month anniversary of his dad’s passing was a stirring and lovely tribute that made me appreciate my own father that much more. Doesn’t he also have the most adorable little girl?

So thanks Scott and someday soon we will have that cup of coffee together.

The absolute pleasure of being a part of this whole Ho’ohana Community that Rosa Say has put together is discovering like-minded folks from across this great country of the United States. About the same time that I found Rosa’s Talking Story, I started reading Brendon Connelly’s Slacker Manager. I remember my initial impressions well: I figured with a name like that (as well as a masthead with a guy reclining in his office chair while trying to do some work), this was going to be a goofy, farcical take on management. Oh, how wrong I was. Slacker Manager is a thought-provoking, articulate blog on how to thrive in work by focusing on working smarter rather than working harder.

To get the full, robust flavor of Brendon and his management philosophy, download his Slacker@Work manifesto from ChangeThis. Here’s how he goes on to define the slacker:

We slackers represent the bright side of overachievers. Slackers are as smart, educated, talented and driven as any standard-issue overachiever youʼll find. The core difference is that slackers have the gift of satisficing: we can stop at “good enough” and go home unburdened by what was left undone.

The entire manifesto is brief and has some good ideas on how to be a Slacker@Work. My personal faves are the Four Hour Rule and Mental Health Days. If you do choose to use these techniques in your own work, be very careful about sharing them with colleagues (and particularly your boss…unless you know he or she is a fellow slacker).

Back to the Slacker Manager blog, there are some fascinating finds along the left side which offer further evidence of the kind of colorful character that Brendon is. I encourage you to take a peek at some of his Hot Links like The Art of Napping at Work (an idea that really needs to catch fire in today’s workplace) and NaDa which is one of the simplest product ideas (I really wish I had thought of it first). Then, there are some of his favorite posts. I’m hoping he finds some space to include a recent smackdown series he hosted between Fred Gratzon and Steve Pavlina (check out the March archives for the full series). It was a stroke of genius to see these two guys take on the idea of productivity from very different viewpoints.

Now, seeing that Brendon currently has over 1500 subscribers, I’m hoping that I can get at least a few hundred to make the trek over to visit my blog. While we might pin different names on our concepts of work (his being slacker; mine being soulful), we’re still thinking in similar ways. Perhaps if nothing else he can teach me how to surf.

Also, if you’re not a regular at Brendon’s site, wish him safe travels and warm spirits for his new baby. He’s currently in South Korea this week to pick up Asher Myung Hee. We’re all waiting on pictures of the newest Slacker Baby.

John Maeda at Simplicity has written a terrific article in praise of the weed; or more specifically the dandelion. Maeda is a professor of media design at MIT and takes a different view of this ubiquitous little yellow flower. Rather than an eyesore, he recalls the playful joy that it brings out even in us "serious" adults.

Today I am glad that we have our share of weeds. I really love
dandelions even though I am old enough to know that one puff … and
all the seeds are released to grow even more weeds. The temptation is
simply too great to not want to puff at one of these things. Nature’s
done a smashing job at creating such an addictive visual treat. Weed.

I admit that I look at the perfect homogeneity of well-manicured lawns with some envy. As I jog through my neighborhood, these lawns look lush and inviting, beckoning me to lie down and relax on their soft green bed. Then, I think of how much time and effort it took the owner to create this artificial environment: the amount of uniform seed, fertilizer and lime, watering. I can’t help doing this because when it comes to my lawn, I’m extremely lazy. I have a hard enough time mowing…the thought of going to any extra effort doesn’t really compute in my head.

Then I remember the yard of my youth. I grew up on a couple of open acres that would yield dandelions, as well as other little purple, blue, and pink wildflowers, red clover, and other "weeds." Definitely not homogeneous, but in many ways it was beautiful. There was even a neglected area where I remember a small sproutling of an oak tree started to grow many years ago. Now, when I return to my parent’s house, I’m amazed to see it still there – a healthy, fairly large tree with ample branches in which to climb.

My mind can’t resist seeing the connections between our weedy yards and each of us. I know I’ve spent far too much time trying to pull out the weeds which are my own perceived weaknesses in order to achieve that homogeneous perfection. What I’m beginning to see is that sometimes those weeds bring me closer to who I actually am. It depends on how I look at them. I have my own little yellow flowers popping up, waiting for the day that I can give them a good puff and watch with childlike wonder as the seeds float away through the air.

I feel that I have been less than genuine with myself and you, my reader, lately. Occasionally, I’ve written posts that were very prescriptive with ideas and things you can do to pursue your soulful work. The tone of the posts would suggest that I’ve successfully put these actions to work for myself. Sometimes I have and other times I have just regurgitated something I’ve read or thought. Not that the untested idea or action probably wasn’t useful, but I’m the kind of guy who believes that if I’m going to suggest something to a person, I really ought to have at least tried it myself. I’ve been told by more than one person to read some of my own previous writings in response to problems I face. And they’re right…I know some possible solutions, but haven’t bothered to put them into action. There’s a distinct difference between knowing and doing. It’s time to focus myself and this space on the latter.

I also notice that I’ve been less than genuine in how I’ve presented some of my ideas and suggestions. As I already admitted, I’ve been prescriptive to the point of being didactic. I don’t like being fed a load of crap and being preached to so why should I do these things with my blog. I admire those individuals who can help others learn through storytelling. What they are able to do is share an experience or a story and let their audience come to their own learning. That is where the power is.

If anything, it just goes to show how difficult it can be to put knowledge and ideas to practice. It also demonstrates the depth of thinking required to construct a meaningful story. But you know what’s really neat and what separates blogs from almost any other communications medium? We both get to grow together. Thanks for coming along.

Through David St Lawrence, I’ve discovered Big Picture Small Office, which offers eloquent observations of life within the organization. If you’ve spent anytime within a company or a non-profit, you probably recognize Big Picture Guy’s characters, like Black Widow, Whiney Baby, and General Ledger. Stereotypes? Yeah, but isn’t it interesting that almost all organizations have folks who fill (at least try to fill) these character roles.

Today, BPG writes about a recent lunch with his Customer Care Center’s supervisor. What’s remarkable is that the lunch was not merely a simple chance to eat at a nice restaurant, but a teaching lesson on how the company could improve its service. BPG could have had a meeting with the CCC supervisor and preached how to improve (or even thrown his authority around and demanded it). Instead, he took the supervisor to an exclusive restaurant in order to facilitate a learning experience.

For any of us in leadership positions, it’s easy to take the most expedient route and tell people what they should do. How deep do you think the learning goes in this case? On the other hand, what happens when we offer our staff the chance to make the learning theirs; to actually help them take ownership over how new ideas and possible decisions integrate with their own previous experience? It might be one of the best gifts you can offer without all the preaching stuff.

As I’ve been on this quest to find soulful work, I’ve started to notice that there are some principles that are applicable to the management role. Here are a few that I’ve been reflecting on lately.

Be Hopeful. I mentioned resilience in the previous post. Finding the capacity for and modeling tough-minded and hopeful optimism consistently can be difficult when facing incredible challenges. Regardless of whether we job hunt while already employed or when we’re unemployed, whether we pursue work in the same profession or take a radical leap toward a different position or industry, it takes resilience to keep going. Sometimes interviews don’t go well. Sometimes we receive the rejection letter. Sometimes that promised phone call doesn’t happen. Sometimes the "perfect" job opportunity goes to another person.

As a manager our ideas may not work, a change initiative might hit a snag, employees disappoint us. In an organization, there are plenty of challenges to overcome. A strong manager needs to learn to see these setbacks for the long-term learning they offer, not the short-term defeat they might represent. Our staff and colleagues need to see that something better lies beyond the present problems. We need to offer them a reason for hope.

Hope is what moves us out of bed in the morning. Without it, the future can be dark and terrifying.

Have Patience. Oh, this one has been a real kick in the pants for me. Patience has never been one of my strong qualities, but nothing builds it like being on the receiving end of the hiring process. I could shake my fist at the inhumanity of having to wait for a month after submitting a resume just to get an interview and then another month of enduring second, third, and fourth interviews and then the salary negotiation process…but, that might be melodramatic. So, until companies find a way to reduce the time to hire (though, I’m still trying to figure out how this can be accomplished successfully), those seeking soulful work within an organization will need to cultivate patience.

As a manager, I remember some projects took time before we could fully realize whether they were successful or not. Checking statistics on a daily basis wasn’t worthwhile when patterns would only emerge over the course of months. Training initiatives might not bear real fruit for a while as the employee learned to grasp the new learning. Expecting a "fast-food" process will likely produce a "fast food" result; would you rather have a Big Mac from McDonald’s or a fillet from Morton’s?

Give Feedback. Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of being in the job hunt is not knowing whether a resume works or not. I’ve had mine reviewed by a number of folks and most tell me that it is very good (which I appreciate; I’ve worked hard at it). But, once I customize it and fire it off for a particular position, there is little in terms of a feedback mechanism. If I get an interview, I figure the resume/cover letter made an impression. However, if I receive a rejection notice – and I’ve received many so far – it is a form letter with no personalized information letting me know what I can do to improve myself (as someone who has been a hiring manager, I understand that the volume of resumes received makes this nearly impossible so I’m not assigning blame here).

This has been a valuable lesson for me about the vital importance of giving feedback. I’m not talking about subjective praise, but about objectively helping another person learn what is successful and what is not. As a manager, we’re in a unique position to see the patterns and best practices. Feedback is a gift. Don’t be stingy and hold out until its time for annual reviews. Make feedback a constant component of your management plan.

These are just three shared principles. Any others that we could include?

It’s taken me a surprisingly long time to get back into the blogging
mode since returning from my beach respite. It was not as relaxing as
past trips, but it was enough to help me realign my daily habits toward
activities that are far more productive. I had allowed myself to get
caught up in frivolous things that didn’t add much to my life (nor my
work toward finding my own soulful work). Reading Flow
has been highly influential and will probably form the basis of some
upcoming posts. So, it’s good to be back and focused on doing things
that bring enjoyment to me.

Yesterday morning I attended a local ASTD chapter SIG meeting which centered on resilience as a leadership trait.
The topic was actually a diversion from the originally intended
subject, but this one couldn’t come at a better time for me. In the
midst of falling short of expectations and making learning mistakes, it
is important to be able to pick ourselves up and move on. It takes
courage to be able to stumble, fall, and then get back up again (even more courage if you have to repeat this process). But,
how do you get up stronger than before?

The morning’s facilitator referenced Stuart Heller’s book, Retooling on the Run, and his organizational work focusing on the mind/body interaction (more info at www.cultivatingexcellence.com). One key to developing  greater resilience is to practice self-awareness of what we think and how we move.

What enters our thoughts when we are feeling at our best? How does our body move – the position of our eyes and head, the speed of our heart rate, the tension of our muscles – when we are feeling most positive? Then, what happens to our thoughts and body when we are in a negative state?

Being more self-aware when feeling positive and negative can help when we begin to transition from joy to depression. What are the triggers? For me, it’s the lightning quick entry of the thoughts that I’ll never find work again and that I’m not qualified to do anything. Ridiculous as these stories are, they can lead me toward that dangerous negative state of "I’m worthless, why bother?" By noticing these thoughts when they arise, I can better head them off and replace them with those true stories that I am enough, that I have much to offer this world. I can also focus on my posture and breath and move into a place where my body experiences a positive charge.

By practicing and modeling resilience, we offer a powerful example of leadership in a time when chaos and mistakes happen. And anyone seeking soulful work must understand that it’s going to take some tough-minded optimism to make it happen. There’s learning in every situation…perhaps this is my lesson to learn right now, my gift to accept. Is there something in your life right now that is asking you to practice resiliency? Perhaps it is a gift to you, as well.

Okay, I could just as easily ask myself this same question right now. Re-reading this post reminds me that there is learning in every situation. Perhaps the only change I would make to it right now is that perhaps what happens to the moth and ourselves is not struggle. It’s natural transformation and it proceeds at the pace that is most needed. Rushing it or trying to take an easier path might make immediate results, but cost us something far greater in the future. Make it a great weekend.

From November 2004…
The Struggle of the Moth – Are You Ready to Take Flight?

A friend of mine suggested that I go back and read some of my own stuff as inspiration for finding my own soulful work (thanks again, Donna). This is one that really gets to the heart of slowing down and letting the creative juices flow.

From November 2004…
Wandering and Getting Unstuck