Overwhelmed with gratitude for the privilege of serving Scarsdale Community Baptist Church as its interim preaching minister the past eight months. I felt truly honored and touched by their expressions of appreciation during and after the service yesterday.
1/
The point is to view people as part ofโand not obstacles toโyour work.
In fact, when it's all said and done, they're the most important part of your work.
/end
"The best decisions are always made face-to-face, in the hallways." โBrad Killaly
Most of us love the flexibility of working from homeโor at least of not going to the office.
1/
What's more, it'll improve your focus when you work from home.
If I know I have little time for deep work at the office, I will be motivate to prioritize deep work when I am alone.
13/
It means lowering your expectations for what tasks you will get done. And it means creating margin for unscheduled conversations. So you're ready when they come.
12/
Margin for the unexpected conversation.
Margin for people.
Adopting this subtle shift in perspective will help you go to the office with a little less anxiety.
11/
Here's the thing, though. When I go to the office, I don't know whom I will see, or who will ask for a few minutes of my time, or what problem we'll work on together.
So when I go to the office, I have to start the day with margin.
10/
For all the hours we spend in team meetings on Zoom, nothing beats the unscheduled, unscripted hallway conversation for deconstructing a problem, cocreating a solution, and gaining traction for the next step.
9/
Rather than try to match the same level of productivity, I need to reimagine my aim for the office.
At the office, my aim cannot be limited to my tasks for the day.
At the office, it must include those amazing people.
That is the gift of the office. The people.
7/
Deep work time? Unlikely. My to-do list? A second-tier priority. Personal productivity? Not so much.
I accomplish a fraction at the office compared to what I do from home.
What I need, however, is not fewer trips to the office but a change in perspective.
6/
So what makes going to the office such a pain?
It's simply that I don't get as much done. When I'm sitting by myself at a coffee shop, I can crank through big projects without interruption.
When I'm at the office, all bets are off.
5/
That includes my colleagues whose expertise, generosity, and commitment to our vision are unsurpassed.
What's more, the people we serve are the salt of the earth, dreaming of ways to catalyze a renewal the benefits everyone regardless of creed, ethnicity, or background.
4/
The problem is not just the time lost on a hot and crowded subway, schlepping a laptop and a lunch, trying not to sweat through my clothes before 9:00 am.
Nor is it that I dislike people.
I get to work with some of the best people on the planet.
3/
My team opened a new space this year. We call it Nova Omnia, a Latin phrase that means "all things new." It encapsulates our dream for NYC and our aspiration to be one of many centers for city renewal.
It's a great place to work.
And it can also be a pain.
2/
@StanMcChrystal So face proposed changes today with curiosityโcuriosity about the proposal, curiosity about your inner dialogue, curiosity about the future you envision. But don't face them alone.
/end
"Institutions often get very defensive. They will man the ramparts and keep people away from change...The willingness sometimes to open our eyes and embrace things is lost in big institutions. It's hard." @StanMcChrystal
What proposed changes stir your defensiveness?
1/
@StanMcChrystal Just yesterday I spent an hour with my executive coach. Her questions and insight shed light on and provided direction for three different leadership situations I'm managing.
Pure gold.
5/
@StanMcChrystal This is why leaders need to have a trusted conversation partner outside their organization. Someone who cares about the leader, does not have a proverbial dog in the fight, and can help the leader see what they're missing.
4/