Everyday is an Interview

All humans have fear; how you act with that fear will determine if you are scared.

Example: This morning, I was driving to work in the rain. A driver was driving ten mph below the speed limit. There was a line of cars behind this driver. There were no dangers on the road, except for this driver, who was driving inconsistently and blocking the road. The driver was fearful of the circumstances and drove scared.

Instead of developing confidence in a trying situation, at least trying for them, they should have taken the opportunity to develop their driving skills in this type of weather.

We all have fears. If we face them with courage, we still have fear, but we are called brave. If we meet the fears without courage, we still have fear and are called scared.

Just Be Better

Stay Healthy, Stay Strong

It is Monday morning, and I feel overwhelmed. I overscheduled my morning meetings and didn’t plan enough time in between to refocus. No worries. I got this. Why? I planned for the day.

I started planning the week before. I have a Spreadsheet template to add tasks I have to complete each week. On Sundays, I dive deep into my week’s tasks and then dive deeper into what I must do for Monday. I arrived early, got everything set up for all my meetings, delegated tasks to my staff, and got through the schedule. No one recognized how tasked I was.

To be successful, you must plan and then plan some more. There is no substitute for dedicated planning, and planning is the best strategy for when “Life Happens!”.  If you want to get through challenging times, plan for them, plan some more, and then plan again.

Just Be Better

Be Strong, Be Healthy

I am all over the place today. I am getting a lot done, and my To-Do list is shrinking, but I am not focused on long-term improvements. I have lost focus, and my colleagues can see it.

I get sloppy with the little things when I have too much on my plate. As the day has gone on, I have gotten sloppier and sloppier. I knew it would be a busy day, and I had a lot of irons in the fire. However, I need to slow down and focus on only one thing at a time.

In situations like this, once I recognize my state of mind, I step back, close the door, and breathe. Once my breathing is on point, I cover my To-Do list with paper and move the piece down until I see the first incomplete item. I then focus on that task until I complete it. I do not work on anything else, just that one item. By doing so, I can focus on one thing and focus on it well. This method helps me to be more successful in completing my tasks with effectiveness, which always trumps efficiency.

Just Be Better

Stay Strong, Stay Healthy.

Everyone needs a strategy for when they have an awful day. A bad day could be caused by a traumatic event, having too much on your schedule, being blindsided by a new challenge, etc. When I have a bad day, I must first recognize it before my emotional capital is depleted. Once I realize that I am having a bad day, that I am stressed, and that I am using up my emotional capital, I put my plan into place. 

Step One: Slow Down. Speeding up may help me accomplish more, but I will complete the tasks poorly.

Step Two: Identify one task I can do in my state of mind and get it done. Each time I do this, I get a win, and I feel a little better.

I repeat Step two until the stress has dissipated and my emotional capital is at “normal” levels. 

This scenario happened to me recently. I was so stressed that I could not be there for my wife when she needed me. A few minutes later, I recognized that I was on a downward spiral of stress and started to slow down. I went to work and got some wins during the day, focusing on one thing at a time. By the time my wife and I connected again at dinner, I was in a better place. I first apologized and then listened to what was going on in her life. Without getting some wins, I would never have been able to be there for my wife and provide her with the support she needed. Not being there to support my loved ones would have made me feel worse than I already did. It shows that you must take care of yourself before you can take care of others.

What is your strategy?

Just Be Better

Stay Strong, Stay Healthy.

I was in a scheduled meeting with an employee this morning. I felt pressed for time and anxious about the other commitments I had to complete outside this meeting. I was not focusing on the employee and her challenges and not leading and supporting her. Eventually, I caught myself. I realized that this employee needed more from me, starting with my attention. 

By thinking of other things, I could not listen to her and provide the support she needed to get through the challenges she was confronting. What is more important as a leader, getting things done or supporting those you lead? To me, it is both. Which one gets the focus depends on who or what is in front of you. 

For the meeting, it was the colleague in front of me, and she needed my attention more than I needed to complete my work at that meeting. After the meeting, I could focus on my other obligations. If I lose my focus and cannot stay in the “now,” nothing will get done, and I will not act as the leader I want to be.  

Focus on what is in front of you; you will do more than complete your checklist. Being a great leader means putting aside your list when you need to and always focusing on who or what is in front of you.

Just Be Better

Stay Healthy, Stay Strong.

I am concerned about how our school bus drivers use their buses, especially when children are on the bus, to block traffic so that other school buses can make turns at intersections. When did these yellow tin buckets become privateers for our roadways?

On my way to work this morning, the school bus driver in front of me stopped in the middle of the road. There was no traffic in front of the bus driver, and no little kids were playing in the street as they were already on the bus. There was no reason to slow down and create a dangerous situation for the other drivers on the road or the passengers on the bus. 

After a moment, another school bus turned onto the road I was driving because the bus driver in front of me blocked traffic. Note that the maneuver did not cause any delays in my travels. It bothered me because it created a dangerous situation where a school bus driver used its bus, with its passengers (children) on board, as a blocker in a blockade to allow another bus to enter a roadway. This is wrong, and it not only puts the other drivers on the road in danger but also endangers the safety of our children who ride the bus.

Acquaintances in law enforcement have told me numerous times that one of the most significant contributors to traffic accidents is drivers slowing down and/or stopping to let other cars enter the road. What the bus drivers are doing for each other is creating this same hazardous situation.

I am not sure if the bus drivers are encouraged to do this by their supervisors or if it is an unwritten rule of bus driving, but it has to stop before someone gets hurt.

The most important rule of driving is not getting there on time; it is getting there safely.

Just Be Better

Stay Healthy, Stay Strong.

If someone insults or questions your character, do not become a victim. Handle it calmly, handle it with dignity, and move onward. In most cases, if not all, this means ignoring the insulter and the insult hurled your way.

When you let your emotions take over, you become the victim. If the person has decided to insult you, nothing you do will change their mind. Do not get caught up in an emotional whirlwind you cannot control. The best defense is to ignore the one insulting you and move on toward your goals. Never let someone else direct your path. You have the power and should keep control over yourself by never being the victim of an insult.

Just Be Better

Stay Strong, Stay Healthy

Opening a new school year is a unique moment in the school year characterized by a mixture of calm and anxiousness. My staff arrives refreshed, even though they prefer summer vacation. The students come back refreshed, though they prefer summer vacation. My support staff and I have everything ready, even though we prefer summer vacation too.

At the beginning of the week, I got an email informing me that one of our technology vendors has changed the process that educators are adding to their system and how they can add their students. Who makes changes 72 hours before opening day? Poor planning. This email was the first I heard of the changes—Poor Communication. We count on this technology from day 1. The changes were extensive, and our opening day professional development plan would have to be reconfigured to provide our staff with the training and time needed to implement the technology on day 1 successfully. At this point, I realize the sales rep who checks in with me regularly has not reached out to me for a few months—Smart on her part. 

No whining! 

We are not the victim. 

Let’s get going. 

The instructions, on paper, were rudimentary. In reality, the instructions only skimmed the surface of what we had to do. One of my team members took it upon herself to figure out all the “fine” points left out of the instruction packet, which took her hours. It will take our staff the same time to learn the “new” system and implement the program meaningfully.

With the amount of money we pay for services, it is incredible how companies get away with such awful service. If they gave us a warning, say at the end of last school year, I would be more understanding. It is unforgivable to spring this on my staff 72 hours before they open a new school year. The fact that we have the same price for the product but have to invest so much time to implement the product and not receive a discount for our efforts is unethical. At a minimum, the company should have provided the appropriate PD for my staff at no cost and paid for my staff’s time to attend the workshop so we could pay to use their product.

Treat your customers with respect. Communicate with them and not only when you want to ensure you will make a sale. Have your team write clear and thorough instructions and provide your customers with the best support possible. If you can do this, I want to work with you.

Just Be Better

Stay Strong, Stay Healthy

As much as I try to plan and save, there are always financial challenges that I am unprepared to meet. Recently, we faced some new and unexpected challenges. It wasn’t so much that we had a health challenge and a safety issue with our house; it was that we were not expecting either situation to occur right when we were going to pay for our son’s fall tuition for his first year in college.

I started with an issue with our dryer that grew into a problem with our improperly/dangerously installed dryer vent (better known now as the maze of lint-trapping fire-breathing danger), which will also require new plumbing and electrical work. This was followed by an issue with my right knee that has needed multiple doctor’s visits, an Ultrasound, an MRI, & X-rays and will require even more doctor’s visits and tests.

Though we had prepared for our son’s college expenses, we did not prepare for the thousands of dollars we now need to make our house safe and help my body heal. Over the years, we have realized there is always something lurking in the shadows waiting to take control of our financial plans.

After overcoming the shock of everything happening at once, my reaction to both situations is that we must solve the problems. Once I received the quotes to solve each issue, my response changed to how “am I” going to pay for all of this? 

Before long, I recognized that I was developing a victim’s mindset. I was not addressing the situation with a solution but with a poor-me attitude. I needed to change my focus from “how am I?” to “I am!”.

I started with a worst-case scenario, which included a combination of withdrawals from our savings account and home-equity loans (I hate taking on debt for any reason). From there, I worked on “rosier” scenarios that included extra coaching sessions, taking on a new mentor, and taking on more speaking engagements.

When presented with challenges and I am in the proper mindset, I always start with the worst-case scenario and build from there. I look for better solutions with either a more favorable journey or outcome. It is a solid strategy that helps me find the right solutions to my challenges.

Having a healthy body, a safe house, and a plan for our son’s education is important to us. These scenarios require a solid plan, a well-executed savings plan, and the right mindset when issues occur. It is easy to fall into the ” Victim Mindset” when you face unexpected challenges. When you recognize this happening, take a step back and imagine the worst-case solution and build from there.

Just Be Better

Stay Healthy, Stay Strong

Someone who allows the fear of a challenge to halt their preparation for that challenge is someone who will not grow stronger. Instead of preparing and becoming strong in mind, body, and emotion, the fearful concentrate on the adverse outcomes of the situation. They can not, or will not, overcome their fear and become victims of their challenges and attitudes. 

In self-defense, our instructors teach us that in addition to skill, we need to have courage and commitment when confronted with a scary situation. You cannot just prepare your skills; you must also develop your commitment and courage. You will become stronger because of your total preparation regardless of the outcome.

Avoiding the issue is just another phrase for hoping the challenge will disappear. Focus on your preparation of skills, courage, and commitment. These are the tools that will help you when times get tough.

Just Be Better

Stay Strong, Stay Healthy