Seriously, I can't believe Congress's failure to act and keep the country running. Don't they understand the implications of their closed-mindedness? There are so many better ways to argue with a broken record, the birds from Finding Nemo, or terminators. Replace it, ignore it, or try another way. So here is some advice for congressman and congresswomen that I hope they heed.

  1. Plan one step ahead of the other team
    • Don't all of these esteemed politicians have tons of people working for them including someone in charge of their schedule? You win when you keep your eyes on both short and long term goals rather than flailing around last minute. Procrastination only leads to stressful situations that you created for yourself.
  2. Know your priorities
    • Know when to accept you've lost and know which battles you can lose. Seriously, choosing to lose, learning from the mistake, and better preparing for the next one is better than sending wave after wave of nonsense at the wall. Not making a decision is still a decision and so extending the time of that decision-making has consequences too. Prioritize your actions and you will win
  3. Take it outside
    • Sometimes what comes out of the mouth of the opposing side just makes your blood boil. When you honestly can't relax and let it go, then take your stress out in other ways. Expelling that negative energy in a healthy way will let you respond more intelligently when it really matters. Here are some ideas: lasertag, pillow fight, chalk fight, or pie throwing (see below).
Oh, and take those "bullies" from the other side with you.

Source: http://thegreatrace.webs.com/behindthescenes.htm
Scene from "The Great Race"
Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?
by: Seth Godin


Can you be irreplaceable even if you aren't a genius? This book argues that with the right attitude, yes, you can. Linchpins are not born they are made and not by following a map or a recipe. There is no defined process of "how to" become indispensable; you have to create your own path.

I agree with Seth's philosophy but honestly I thought the book was lacking. There were no stories of successful people and how they applied themselves to their jobs in new ways. And because there aren't any good stories you could get the same value out of the book by just reading the 200+ chapter headings. Godin almost argues with himself trying to convince the doubters that his movement of thinking differently works. Regardless, the book was fairly motivating and can be summarized in three key points about moving from a white collar button-pushing worker to someone that people talk about and count on.
  1. Make art
    • Artists create and share art which Godin describes as "anything that's creative, passionate, and personal [that] resonates with the viewer, not only with the creator." Rather than paint on a canvas, art can be the way you negotiate a sale or design a business model. If you aren't reading a script and have a reason to share something new, you are an artist and artists are linchpins.
  2. Give gifts
    • Real gifts are given with no intent to receive reciprocation. Gifts are usually thoughtful and purposeful and whether that is your talents, wisdom, or something tangible, gifts make others special. Making others feel that emotional pull without obligation is rare, meaningful, and worth remembering. Indispensable people are not those that rack up a IOU list, they are people that are well connected because they honor the skills of others.
  3. Ship it
    • This book also encourages people to not second guess themselves and to not wait for the perfect moment. The hardest part about creating something new is fighting the urge to take the safe route and wait for someone else to do it first, approve it, or love it before you stick your neck out. Don't let your "lizard brain" fear get the best of you! To be a linchpin you have to not be afraid of mistakes. Pick up the phone, press "send" on that email, stamp the UPS package with your first rev of a product and just do it!
In my opinion you can say you are creative all you want but you need to show it for it to be true and the book could have done a better job in demonstrating who a linchpin is rather than attempting to explain it abstractly. No two linchpins are alike so aren't there tons of examples that we can look up to? Who is someone that you look up to that is an example of a forward thinker that doesn't "go by the book"?
Wedding season is in full swing! I went to two weddings in the last week and they were both beautiful! And, ironically I am celebrating an anniversary of sorts this week too because this blog was started a year ago. That means there are lots of reasons to celebrate!
  1. Don't make promises you can't keep
    • Marriage is a life-long commitment to someone else and of course you want to promise them the best future they could ever have. You can't possibly foresee the challenges and changes that you will go through so I felt very encouraged to see such honesty in the vows at the weddings. In business you need to also be honest such as when you are telling a customer of whether their requests will be fulfilled in an upcoming product release. If you can't see that far into the future, don't try to guess and instead simply promise to continue to communicate!
  2. Make new friends, but keep the old
    • This is good, solid advice from a girl scout song. Weddings are filled with old high school friends to reminisce with and new friends you see every day at work or the gym. The advice here is to not take either of them for granted! This means stay in touch and ask about their lives. It equally means expanding your network so you can have a breadth of connections to rely on in any future situation.
  3. A reason's a reason, no matter how small
    • One of my favorite things at weddings is the dance to celebrate all married couples. It is heart warming to see the ones that have been together for 20, 30 or even 50+ years. It gives you hope that you can make it too. I think everyone should celebrate the small and big wins on a business project, company culture change, or personal relationship. Whether the milestone is only a month or a 5-year plan, any reason is reason enough to celebrate and it will keep you motivated to get to the next one.
Congratulations to the happy newlyweds!
Diverging a bit from my regular blog posts, this month I'd like to share a few personal stories that have been my INspiration lately. This week, it is about my, well, politely said, "opportunity in disguise". The hard truth is that I was laid off last week due to company downsizing. It is a shock and a little bit of a emotional roller-coaster but I'm staying positive in that something better will come out of this. It has only been a week and so I don't have a lot to report but it definitely is consuming my energy. So far, whenever I'm on the brink of tears I just remind myself of these 3 things and then I'm fine again.
  1. Lean on your support system
    • Don't be afraid to rely on the people around you. That is why they are there and they love you. They will help get you through this. This is hard for me to do because I am a very self-sufficient person and proud of it but when I came home to dinner and wine that night it made me feel special. It helps to feel that you don't have to do it all, all the time. Let the people that love you remind you of that and let them take care of you for a bit.
  2. Find a new routine
    • The first thing I did was sign up for a gym class during the day that I've always wanted to try. Yes, it costs money but having something to regularly get myself out of the house is really important to stay moving and motivated. We all strive for control so if you are the one making decisions and choosing to do new and unfamiliar things, you will find strength to conquer it.
  3. Just keep swimming
    • Like Dory in Finding Nemo, the best way to deal with the fear of the unknown is to trigger your muscle memory bank and keep going with familiar habits. For me, that is setting my alarm every morning and keeping a weekly to-do list just like I do on the job. Staying organized and self-motivated is more important now than ever and your attitude will show when you have those next job opportunities.
I think everyone that has survived a layoff wears it as a badge of honor. I intend to do the same after I'm through with this "battle". Have you been through a layoff? What advice do you have for me and others going through this?

Edited: Read about my advice after the fact in my 4 part blog post on unemployment.

I appreciate the fact that I can read the news and watch the highlights of the VMA 2013 in 1/10th the time the next day. As always, there are the critics, but I feel there are lessons hidden in some of the good and bad performances. Here are my thoughts.
  1. Do More with Less
    • Miley Cyrus: more skin does not automatically equate to sexier. The same is true in business in that the longer a report is does not make it better. Art and sales take finesse and patience because your audience determines its success. Your customer is more likely to buy if you tell a story and take your time getting to the punch line.
  2. Remember Your Roots
    • Justin Timberlake: the connections you make early follow you. The nod to N*SYNC was admirable and I appreciate that Justin didn't steal the spotlight or burn bridges. Respect is something that is earned and therefore takes time. Therefore, be careful taking the next step in your career without looking back or reaching a hand back. Your friends and followers say more about you than any sparkly headline you wrote yourself.
  3. Change takes time
    • Lady Gaga: Be true to yourself because no matter how you dress it up, the inside is what counts. Four wig changes during a performance might seem extreme but changing your appearance didn't change you or the song. I think this is symbolic of how slow we actually change. Our character and social habits are just like a new fitness routine in which you don't see results for some time. It also makes me think of the quote "4 weeks for you to notice a difference, 8 weeks for your friends to notice, and 12 for the rest of the world!"
Do you see similar performances from your co-workers that you would rather un-watch? Maybe there is a lesson they should be learning as well that you can help them realize. Share a story in the comments!
I was inspired this week by the title of a post called "Are you Acting Your Wage?" by the Daily Worth and it got me thinking about job titles and salaries. My title is "Technical Program Manager"; what in the world does that mean? What type of program? How big a program? How new a program? What part of the program do I manage? There are so many programs and program components, do you really know what I do based on just my title? Is the salary range really a good indicator to base your expectations? No and uh, no. So if you are looking for your next career move (internally or externally) how can you prove to people that you are worth the high end of that spectrum?
  1. Dress up
    • Most tech companies have a relaxed dress code with employees wearing jeans on more than just casual Fridays. But even if that is the case, take the advice I was given once and "dress for the job you want not the job you have". And take it a step further: dress up the other components of your image and improve the way you sit in meetings, your email signature, and the way you bring problems to your boss.
  2. Elevator up
    • When meeting people for the first time, you need to be able to rehearse a polished elevator pitch that clarifies who you are and what you do. Whether it is the CEO, a competitor, a customer, or an old classmate, you want to impress them all. The best way to elevate your job is to show results through numbers and a cause-and-effect equation. "I do X for program Y so that my company sees Z." Make sure you know what you'll say and don't get stuck tongue-tied; then you won't be worth much at all!
  3. "Sheryl Sandberg" up (or Man up)
    • Don't be afraid to get in people's faces about your efforts and goals. If you want a raise there are designated times they can happen and if you ask for it today I can bet you won't get it. You need to be in the running well before and so you need to speak up for yourself and advocate for your self worth. Ask to do more. Ask for feedback. Ask for the promotion. And if you're not convinced, maybe these stories will convince you.

About Me



So if you want to be happy at work like I am, then thanks for being a reader! I am a consultant that travels constantly and is always working with new people. I love what I do! I'm formally trained with an MBA and BS Engineering. At home and in my free time, I like to drink beer, travel, garden, read, hike with my dog, and play board games.

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