Everyday is an Interview

A few months ago, my wife told me I should sign up to use the Nextdoor app, which groups users by their neighborhood. She had used it to find a local company to service our refrigerator, and they did great. What an excellent idea for an app. Neighbors are helping neighbors. We could use it to find restaurants and events that we want to check out. There was even a space to sell items you no longer wanted in the house. This app seemed like a win-win.

A few weeks into using it, I could not wait to get rid of it. It was not the app; it was the users. The space had become a forum for passive-aggressive people who cannot give honest feedback to the individual and, therefore, must shame them in front of everyone who uses the site. One such post was from a user complaining about his neighbor. Instead of talking with the neighbor, this user shamed him in front of everyone. Not very useful. Others were using the app to complain to their children’s school teachers about taxes and everything else they could think of.  It quickly became a den of negativity. The app became the latest version of reality TV, where everyone complains about everyone else when they are not in the room.

Well, it was good while it lasted on my phone. I’ll leave the negative spaces to others. Hopefully, when I have a problem with someone, I’ll talk to them directly to try and solve the issue. It’s much more constructive than using an app and being passive-aggressive.

Just Be Better.

Stay Healthy, Stay Strong.

Whether you realize it or not, every day is an interview. Everywhere you go, people are observing you and developing their opinions of you. People constantly evaluate you, and you never know when one of these “interviewers” will make a decision about you that can affect your future. 

An important skill necessary to pass the interview is good communication. Good communicators are those who can understandably articulate their ideas through their words and actions. They never expect others to guess what they are thinking. I want to be surrounded by people who communicate well, even if only to interact with them for a moment. This communication involves speaking, writing, facial expressions, posture, grooming, etc. Whether you realize it, you express your true self to others when you think no one is looking.

The impression you can leave on someone can last forever. The impression must be true to you and the “brand” you want others to see.

Just Be Better

Stay Strong, Stay Healthy

In any meeting, I aim for the participants to receive the message, adopt the message, and improve results, regardless of whether I am the leader or I am the participant, in as short an amount of time as possible. Anything else wastes time, the one commodity none of us can get back.

This week, I was at a workshop about strategies for making meetings more effective. One of the key themes was the character of people in a meeting. When was the last time you were in a meeting when someone was wasting time, not just for their own? What happened? Were they refocused? Were they removed? It is essential to your meeting’s success to ensure that respectful, prepared, and focused individuals are the only ones allowed into a meeting. Anyone else should be asked to leave. The character of your colleagues in the meeting will drive the effectiveness of the meeting.

I need to do a better job improving meeting decorum, refocusing people when they are off task, and staying true to the purpose of the meeting. Anything else is a waste of time that will keep me and my team away from our goals, family, and the other important things we want to do to grow.

Just Be Better

Stay Strong, Stay Healthy

The roads are getting more dangerous these days. The new driving fad among drivers of all ages is crisscrossing the lines as much as possible. My youngest son is driving on his learning permit, and even he notices that no one takes enough pride in their driving to stay between the lines. There must be some unwritten rule that when a traffic officer is absent, there is no reason to follow driving conventions and stay in your lane. Observing others do this on a constant basis reminded me of my lessons in kindergarten. My teacher spent much time teaching me how to color between the lines. When I finally developed the motor skills and the patience to do so, I kept doing it. Even today, when coloring with a young relative, I work hard and take pride in my ability to color between the lines. Imagine what safer roads we would drive on if drivers of all ages did the same.

Stay Strong, Stay Healthy

Just Be Better.

It is happening all over again. We have to teach a teenager how to drive.

Our youngest son has his learning permit, and our job is to teach him how to drive. Teaching him how to operate a vehicle is a challenging job. We barely got over our older son learning how to drive. Thank goodness we only have two children. As soon as our youngest came home with a big grin on his face holding his permit in our faces, I knew it was time to call my therapist for support. At the end of the session, she offered me a year’s worth of sessions if I would also teach her child to drive when he gets his learner’s permit in a few months. Based on my answer, it may be time to find a new therapist.

In fairness, our youngest is not bad for someone who has not earned his license yet, but it is still a traumatic time for his parents. It is trying to exhibit patience as he goes across multiple lanes of traffic to make a turn while later holding back my despair when he stops 100 feet short of the stop sign and complains that he cannot see if there is any on-coming traffic. Teaching him to drive is challenging. We want him to gain confidence, but not at the expense of our sanity.

Speaking of sanity, why is it so hard for video gamers to pull into a parking space. You figure those who can “360-no-scope” in their sleep could park in a spot only 90 degrees to the right or left. This act of parking is separate from parallel parking. This parking style requires one to get their car between the white lines while they come to a complete stop. At this point of the day’s lesson, I was done and said it was my turn to practice backing out of the two spots he simultaneously parked the car. 

I have had many challenges in life. Luckily, this is the last time I will have the challenge of teaching a child how to drive.

Just Be Better

Stay Healthy, Stay Strong

In any meeting, I aim for the participants to receive the message, adopt the message, and improve results. Anything else is a waste of time. I do not like participating in meetings that are a waste of time. 

If I am doing my job, each charge should know the feedback they will receive at their annual evaluation meeting before it occurs. Through my actions and communications throughout the year, each employee should know what I expect from them, how I view their performance, and what changes they need to make. If I am doing my job well, my staff should never be surprised by the feedback they receive at their evaluation meeting. The meeting will digress and waste our time if I do my job poorly.

Evaluations should be about growth. I want the feedback I give and receive to focus on changing behavior and improving performance.

Prepare and work to get what you want out of every meeting. Nothing less. Ensure your staff knows what you think of their performance and focus on the desired result you want them to achieve

Just Be Better

Stay Healthy, Stay Strong.

Your auto has two communication devices, the horn, and the turning indicator. Knowing how to use them is a sign of success. Be a successful driver. Use blinkers.

Just Be Better

Stay Strong, Stay Healthy.

My son’s Middle School Graduation practice was scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday from 12:30 to 2:00. Monday morning, he got an email stating that he also had graduation practice on Monday at 12:30. That failure to report to practice would mean he could not attend the actual ceremony.

How are parents who work expected to get their students to school in the middle of the day when they were not given notice that they needed to get their students to school, and busing was not provided, until they were already at work for the day? We were lucky and could arrange transportation at the last minute, especially since my wife and I both work.

I do not have time for leaders who cannot communicate well.  I do not have time for leaders who can not prepare adequately to get the results they want

Just Be Better

Stay Healthy, Stay Strong

Somebody asked me where I get my motivation to get up early in the morning and achieve the goals I set for myself. My response was, “I am not motivated. I am focused and so focused on my goals that nothing will get in my way.” The focus that I dedicate to my goals is why I get up before my wife to get things done because once my wife wakes up, she is my focus.

Don’t get caught up in the “motivation” game. Set some goals and get focused.

Just Be Better.

Stay Healthy, Stay Strong.