Government Executive - Authors - Sarah Agan

Want to Thrive? 5 Lessons From Zeke About How to Live Well

Sarah Agan — Tue, 02 Sep 2014 16:53:50 -0400

“Zeke is not doing well.”

These were the first words my husband spoke to me as he retrieved me after I facilitated a two-day leadership off-site for a client. He grabbed my bags and hurried out of the lobby to the truck, where our 70-pound German Shorthaired Pointer, Zeke, lay in extreme exhaustion. Zeke couldn’t stand. At 14 years and 9 months old, his body appeared to be saying it was time to go.

I drove while Robert lay in back with Zeke. Both of us hoping some miracle might happen upon us during our drive back through the hills of upstate New York toward our home in the Finger Lakes.

An hour later we pulled into the driveway of our home. It was a glorious day with blue skies and cottony clouds suspended over summer’s green valley. We lifted Zeke out of the truck, determined that he would show us he was OK. He couldn’t stand. It took Robert and me both to steady Zeke. In that moment of knowing we were facing the inevitable and unbearable, Zeke seemed to weigh a thousand pounds—as if to represent the pending grief that was heavier than we could bear. Our beloved friend fell into my husband’s arms as Robert sat on the ground with Zeke’s failing body seeming to melt into his lap. It was clear Zeke was on his way and it was time to say goodbye. Zeke was peaceful.

Three years ago we had three dogs. Now we have none. We lost Gem in December 2011. We lost Coby in May 2013. We lost Zeke in July 2014. Each of our beloved pets has left holes in our hearts. Each has taught us what our wisest human teachers never could. Zeke taught us to:

Go for what you want. The picture accompanying this blog is Zeke, years ago, when his body still worked, leaping for a ball in the early morning, sun just rising above the tree line. Zeke never took his eyes off what he wanted. He was focused and determined.
Live in the real world. As humans, many of us (this author a major culprit) spend so much time in our heads. Obsessive thinking and hijacked by thoughts we allow to consume us; it all takes us out of the moment, which is all we truly have in life. Dogs don’t do this. They are deeply connected to the present. Stillness Speaks is a great book on this topic.
Make time to play and have fun. It’s true, there is serious stuff going on the world. The stream of news a never-ending buzz-kill about things that feel in some cases out of our control. In the midst of this, and in some ways in order to navigate the complexities of life, we must make time to be reminded of the gift of being 6 feet above and not 6 feet under. Finding time to play and honor the gift of life is like an unwritten part of our job description as human beings. Zeke wanted to play—always—sometimes he even fell asleep with the tennis ball in his mouth and tail wagging.
Let people know you love them. I mean seriously, dogs may be the most perfect creatures for their ability to show us how much they love us, unconditionally, and every chance they get. What stops us, as human beings from letting people know we love them and they matter to us?
Be peaceful when it’s time to move on. Every new beginning starts with some other beginning’s end. If you believe life is a journey, punctuated with a series of beginnings and endings, there will be necessary stops along the way. The key is to know when it’s time to move on and then get going! Einstein might have said it best: “Life is like a bicycle; in order to balance you have to keep moving.” While Zeke’s ending has a certain finality, we should all be so peaceful about moving on to whatever’s next when we know it’s time to do so.

Zeke bids you a happy life.

(Image via Sarah Agan)

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Why You'd Better Start Using the ‘F’ Word

Sarah Agan — Mon, 18 Aug 2014 09:00:00 -0400

No, not that word, the feedback word.

There is so much talk about the importance of providing feedback and yet for some reason it still seems to rank at the bottom of the list in terms of organizational competencies (maybe too much talk and not enough action/practice?). Even the most senior leaders struggle to master this important skill and despite all the talk about how important it is, few have the courage to actually do it.

A client called recently to share about how his annual performance review went. He is a leader in his organization and generally considered to be a high performer. He and his manager have a very strong relationship and the reviews over his career have been stellar. He said his manager shared some pretty tough and constructive feedback with him; most of which he agreed with. That said, he felt somewhat blindsided by feedback that he had not heard before and that took him totally by surprise. It wasn’t that he disagreed with the tough feedback. What he disagreed with was the delayed timing and the fact that for months no one talked to him about it—including his manager. Apparently, at least five other people in his organization had feedback to share but no one had the courage to actually do it. This this was a clear illustration of the blind spot quadrant depicted and articulated in the JoHari Window.

He asked his manager why she hadn’t previously shared the feedback. She told him she didn’t provide the feedback because she didn’t think he could handle it at the time.

There are so many lessons out of this story. Here are six:

Stop treating adult professionals with kid gloves and trust they can handle the well-intentioned feedback you have to share. If the person for whom you have constructive feedback truly can’t handle it, you’ve got another issue on your hands altogether and feedback alone isn’t going to address what may be a larger issue.
Employees should never be surprised by constructive feedback provided during an annual review. It’s the No. 1 rule of performance reviews and it’s incumbent upon leaders to provide timely, specific and relevant feedback. Period.
If you truly care about someone or need them to be aware of how their actions and behavior are affecting performance, or affecting others, no matter how difficult the feedback, share it. The person you share it with might actually really appreciate you summoning the courage to say tough things. It could literally change that person’s life.
There is never a perfect time. My client’s manager said she was waiting for the right time to provide the constructive feedback. Six months later she finally provided the feedback during annual review time and it left my client feeling confused and even hurt that the feedback hadn’t been provided earlier. The problem is often there is no right time. There may be a better or worse time, but delaying constructive feedback can make things worse for the individual and for those affected by the behavior/actions warranting the feedback in the first place.
Remember that the person you are sharing the feedback with has feelings and is a human being. Put yourself in that person’s shoes and think about what you would want someone in your position to do in sharing constructive feedback.
Stop being a hypocrite. We can find 100 excuses for why we don’t share constructive feedback. If you postulate that sharing feedback is important, then do it. But don’t say it’s important and then not do it. It will leave people confused and could erode trust.

What’s the most valuable feedback you’ve received? Do you think it was hard or easy for the person to share it with you? What stops you from sharing?

And, out of curiosity, what do you think about annual performance reviews? Tried-and-true gem, or relic of the past?

(Image via Stephen Coburn/Shutterstock.com)

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Is Your Strategic Plan Stuck?

Sarah Agan, Corner Alliance — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 11:00:00 -0400

Strategic planning is traditionally a highly rational and intellectual process. It is important business and should be treated as such. At the same time, many strategic planning processes tend to fall short of the aspirations and expectations leaders and process participants envision, in great part due to the tendency organizations have to omit any creativity and authentic engagement from the process.

Organizations interested in trying a more innovative approach to visioning sessions can engage in facilitated collaging workshops, where participants use magazine images to create a collage that represents their vision for the organization.

A more creative approach provides access to ideas and possibilities that are often left untapped by following more traditional processes. Outcomes of the collaging workshop include creation of a rich inventory of language and ideas that are then translated into more traditional strategic planning documents and structures.

Participants use images to envision a future state. While each workshop is different the facilitated process includes the following steps:

Workshop participants use magazines to create a collage. They are asked to make sure there is no blank space left on the folder they use as a base, and they are asked to not use any words or text. They have 30 to 60 minutes to create their individual collages (or small teams can create a collage together).
After creating individual montages, each team member takes no more than five minutes to share with the team about the images they chose for their collage. The facilitator captures these words on flip chart paper and participants begin to sense a bigger picture emerge as a result of the collaborative process.
The team then identifies common words and themes.
These words and themes are used to create an inventory from which a vision statement is developed.
Depending on the size of the group, teams of two or three then work together to draft vision statements that are then shared with the larger team and used to create a single vision statement.

As the process is facilitated, key ideas and distinctions are captured and can be used to articulate strategic goals, objectives, etc. Many organizations find this process helps surface implicit values that are made explicit and incorporated as part of the overall strategic planning effort.

(Image via xtock/Shutterstock.com)

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Why It’s Important to Communicate Bad News

Sarah Agan, Corner Alliance — Wed, 25 Jun 2014 10:00:00 -0400

“Folks, this is your captain speaking, it’s going to be a rough ride leaving Denver.”

Those were the first words I heard from the pilot as I buckled my seat belt to fly home after a business trip to Boulder, Colorado. From my window seat, I could see the ominous sky trying to clamp down against the backdrop of June’s snowcapped Rocky Mountains. I enjoyed the calm view from the tarmac, the sun still fighting to peek through the late afternoon clouds.

Ready to crack the spine on a book once we were above the clouds, I took in the view as we ascended. The late afternoon quickly turned to early evening, and I forgot about the captain’s pre-takeoff warning.

Then it started. About 10 minutes into the flight, that rough ride the pilot promised began. Despite the sunny skies, the plane shook and rattled with an unsettling intensity. My adrenaline started to surge as the muscles in my body tightened. And then I remembered the captain said we were going to experience turbulence. As soon as I recalled his warning, I cracked the spine on my book and began reading, the bumpiness a mere reminder I was on a plane.

“Folks, this is your captain speaking, we are about 390 miles from DCA, above Appleton, Wisconsin. There is some bad weather in D.C., so we are going to circle here for 20 minutes.”

After one rotation the captain announced we were cleared to head straight to D.C.

Waiting at baggage claim, I reflected on the trip, particularly focused on how insignificant the rough ride had been and that I was utterly unbothered at the in-flight delay. Why was that? Two things: clear, timely communication and straightforward, non-sugar-coated expectations.

It all made me wonder what lessons there are in this for government leaders. Here’s what stands out for me:

Be straight and timely in communication and don’t sugar coat things. We all know this, and yet at times, we still seem to avoid delivering or sharing unpleasant news. I’m sure the pilot wasn’t thrilled to tell his passengers they were in for a bumpy ride. And once we hit the turbulence my nerves flared only momentarily as I remembered the pilot told us to expect it. How often does unpleasant news remain unshared only to have people experience the issue anyway and only made worse because someone knew in advance about it but didn’t bother to let people know it was going to happen?

Share even if there is nothing a person can do about the issue. I often hear leaders say they don’t communicate about certain things because they don’t think their teams or organizations need to know. Certainly there is information that is necessarily kept confidential or close-held, but more often than not, it seems leaders don’t think their organizations will benefit from the information if it isn’t a decision, or doesn’t require action or have a significant material impact. The problem with this mind-set is that as human beings we are wired to want to know what’s going on. The absence of valid information about what’s going on can result in assumptions or gossip or the rumor mill running rampant—or people being scared. Damage control in the wake of inaccurate stories is time-consuming at best.

So the next time your team or organization is headed for a rough ride or may be in a holding pattern, tell them. It won’t lessen the bumps or prevent the time spent circling, but it will smooth the ride.

(Image via Jaromir Chalabala/Shutterstock.com)

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The Hard Facts About Happiness and Productivity

Sarah Agan, Corner Alliance — Thu, 05 Jun 2014 16:00:00 -0400

How important is it to you to be happy? Most of us spend about a third of our lives at work, a third sleeping, and a third doing “personal life.” It’s kind of an odd way to look at life; parsed into fractions. But let’s explore the parsed part of life that is work.

“The single greatest advantage in the modern economy is a happy and engaged workforce.” Don’t agree? Former Harvard researcher Shawn Anchor’s work on the topic is compelling and may make you think twice if you are skeptical about the idea that happiness has a place in the modern workplace. “A decade of research in the business world proves that happiness raises nearly every business and educational outcome: raising sales by 37 percent, productivity by 31 percent, and accuracy on tasks by 19 percent, as well as a myriad of health and quality-of-life improvements.” For federal employees, sales data may not translate, so it can be helpful to think instead about measurable mission outcomes.

Regardless of how we might interpret the business world findings to the government domain, the bottom line is a happy and engaged workforce is critical to success. Yet as a federal leader, the idea of being responsible for your employee’s happiness may seem daunting, frivolous, and frankly it’s not written into your position description. Further, if you agree with Anchor’s decade of research on the topic, happiness is a choice. All this said, what if you were offered free tools that increased the possibility of your employees being happy and therefore more productive? Would you at least try out the tools? Here are two:

1. Acknowledgement. Acknowledgement, in the form of expressing gratitude, is scientifically proven to increase happiness. Even if you don’t want to try this out at work, it’s worth taking five minutes to watch this video called The Science of Happiness and try using this tool with your family and friends. Or share it with your teams and see how simply introducing this idea might change the dynamic in your organization from one of blame to one of acknowledgement.

2. Assess Happiness Factors. Years ago, we worked with a client who was told by her manager to “make your team happy.” She didn’t like this task at all, and her manager was clear in his direction that he wanted her team to be happy. They were miserable and productivity was suffering as a result. As part of our approach we created an assessment tool to use with the team to measure six factors identified in the January-February 2012 Harvard Business Review edition on the value of happiness. We conducted an initial assessment and a follow-up assessment four months later—after working with the team to identify and implement actions to improve in the six areas. After four months the factors we measured improved by 10 percent to 30 percent across the board. The factors, derived from the HBR article, included employees’ perceptions about the extent to which:

They were given decision-making discretion to solve problems on their own
Information about what was happening in the organization was shared in a timely manner
A culture of civility was fostered
Individuals received timely feedback about their performance
Individuals received timely feedback about the organization’s performance
They felt they had the training and skills necessary to do their jobs

As with many things, it’s important to recognize there is no guaranteed prescription for happiness. What contributes to happiness for one may be different for another, and what works in one organization may not be the same in another. Whatever the differences may be, the underlying commonalities are we spend roughly a third of our lives at work, a happier and more engaged workforce is more productive, and as a leader it’s worth investing time and energy into how to support an environment in which employees and the organization thrive. Why? Because your mission matters to your stakeholders, and they are counting on you and your teams to deliver results.

(Image via racorn/Shutterstock.com)

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Hiring Managers: Stop Trying to Grow Pineapples in Alaska

Sarah Agan, Corner Alliance — Tue, 20 May 2014 16:00:00 -0400

Government agencies and the people who lead and work within them have a fundamental responsibility to be good stewards of the public trust and taxpayer dollars. For many, if not most, agencies the largest budget item is compensating the employees who work within those organizations. They are mission-critical assets. Without them the mission doesn’t get done. But how many federal leaders see their job as chief recruiter, ensuring those precious resources are spent on mission-critical assets that will sustain the organization and move it forward?

Agencies certainly have human capital offices, human resources professionals and other types of support personnel who are key partners. That said, as a leader, the buck stops with you. Shouldn’t it be your single biggest priority to make sure you have the right resources to get the job done? Often the gap between people who seem qualified and people that fit well comes down to the culture and mission of the organization.

The best organizations have a really good sense of what their mission requires. It’s not only what the formal mission statement says, but also what the unofficial mission is that fundamentally shapes the organizational culture. If someone isn’t a cultural fit, then he or she will never thrive. It’s like trying to grow a pineapple in Alaska. Sounds like a pretty stupid idea, right? Hiring smart people who aren’t a cultural fit is a pretty stupid thing to do as well.

So, what can you do? Don’t wait until after you’ve hired someone to think about how to set him or her up for success. Here are a few steps you can take to get ahead of the game:

Mission in 10 words or less. Without using any words from your organization’s formal mission statement, write down what your agency really does—in plain language that an eighth grader could understand.
A peek behind the curtain. Identify and write down the top three most challenging things about working at your agency. Another way to look at this is to specify the top three things people most often complain about. If you name it, you can claim it. Be as specific as possible and don’t hold back (but be constructive).
Who can thrive here? Given what you really do and given the real challenges people face at your agency, what does it take to be successful and thrive?

After you take these steps, work with your HR office and other partners to make sure these elements are incorporated into your recruiting and onboarding strategy. Getting the right people for your mission and culture is the best possible retention strategy. Acquire the right assets and then leverage those assets to get the right stuff done in the right way. Don’t waste precious time or resources trying to grow pineapples in Alaska.

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6 Communication Tips From Emergency Managers

Sarah Agan, Corner Alliance — Mon, 19 May 2014 09:00:00 -0400

Before, during and after an emergency it’s absolutely critical to provide information and communicate. Why? Because in an emergency, and in life in general, the vacuum created when nothing is communicated is filled with information that can be, and often is, incorrect.

The principles outlined by organizational theorist Chris Argyris in his model, the Ladder of Inference, hold especially true in the domain of emergency management. Argyris’ proposition is that in the absence of information people make things up (assumptions) due to a need to make sense of something. Then people take action based on those assumptions. The danger, of course, is that often those assumptions, are incorrect. So, while in everyday life the stakes may not be as high during an emergency event, making sure people have valid and timely information could be the difference between life and death. This said, in some circumstances there isn’t time to validate information and yet communication must happen anyway.

Here are six lessons from leaders in emergency management about the importance of communication during an emergency event:

Fill the vacuum, even if you have nothing specifically substantive to share. It’s OK to say “we have no further information right now.” It’s not okay to say nothing.
If you know when you might have more information, say so. And then even if you don’t have more information at the point you said you might, communicate that it turns out you don’t have the information you thought you would.
Track social media and, yes, correct wrong social media posts. Repost (like, retweet, etc.) those that are correct.
At the risk of repeating yourself, do it anyway. During times of crisis people’s mental states are compromised and they may not hear everything they need to. So it’s important to communicate, communicate, communicate. You may be tired of hearing yourself say the same things over and over; the person who is hearing you for the first time will be glad you repeated yourself.
Give your social media a face, yes, an actual picture of your social media/communications staff. Negative comments will slow down because people won’t as readily attack a person as they will an email address, twitter handle, etc. Anonymity makes for an easy punching bag.
Don’t be scared to put info out there, even if you don’t have time to validate every detail. This is a tough one. Incomplete or unvalidated information could be the difference between life and death. If necessary, add more information or correct previously shared information when you know more. As with item number one, sharing some information is better than nothing. And sometimes providing information, even if it turns out that later you have to update it, is better than providing no information at all.

While these lessons come from emerging leaders in emergency management, the advice holds true for leaders regardless of their domain. We often hear leaders express frustration that they’ve already communicated information to their teams or organizations. Many seem to believe they should only have to say something once. Leaders must communicate the important stuff over and over and over and do it until people get the message. Until then, the leader hasn’t done his or her job. If there is something you need to make sure people hear, act as if it is a matter of life and death and borrow a page from the emergency manager’s playbook.

(Image via Mopic/Shutterstock.com)

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Lessons From Emergency Managers: Why It’s Important to Like People

Sarah Agan, Corner Alliance — Mon, 05 May 2014 09:03:33 -0400

In a recent leadership development program for emergency managers from many of the largest cities in the country, Corner Alliance invited experienced leaders from the emergency management community to share their experiences and what they think are important leadership traits. These people are at the top of their game and clearly know something about leadership.

When we asked students what leadership lessons they took away after hearing from the experienced leaders, we expected answers along the lines of “you have to be an expert in the field,” “you have to be able to hold people accountable” and “you have to be decisive.” That’s not what we heard. Instead, they said you have to:

Have the courage to follow your instincts
Know yourself in order to know how to approach and work with others
Understand people’s motivations and know where they are coming from
Think outside the box: If you think you hear a horse coming, imagine it’s a zebra
Be sincere and authentic, you can’t “act” leadership
Understand the power of convening
Like people

Certainly many of these lessons aren’t surprising. But the one that really caught our attention was the need to like people. It struck us as so obvious, yet we don’t recall ever hearing it as part of the larger discourse around what it takes to practice effective leadership.

As is the case with the infinite debate about what leadership is, there are those who might argue, perhaps successfully, that one can be an effective leader if they don’t like people. But there is great wisdom in that simple lesson. One that might be the best test for whether someone is truly up to the responsibilities of being a leader.

What leadership qualities do you think are the most important?

(Image via cvm/Shutterstock.com)

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Leaders, Are You Betraying Your People?

Sarah Agan — Mon, 21 Apr 2014 11:49:28 -0400

If you are a leader in the federal government, and doing your job, at some point you will likely betray the people in your organization in pursuing the higher purpose required of a public servant (and being a leader in general).

Your larger responsibility is to sustain the governmental organization, which serves the public interest. In a world driven by constant change, you must adapt and lead your organization in adapting. To adapt you may disrupt the status quo, and when you disrupt the status quo individuals in your organization may feel betrayed. It sucks, and you’ll likely have to do it at some point— if (and that’s a big if) you accept the responsibilities that come with being a leader.

The word betrayal sends chills up my spine and creates a general sense of “ick.” I suspect it’s the same for many people. As with many things in life, without context it’s nearly impossible to understand how leadership betrayal could possibly be considered appropriate in modern organizational life. However, in researching theories around complex adaptive systems for a client leadership development program, I ran across a stirring article written by James Krantz and associated with the Tavistock Institute in London. To grossly summarize, Krantz suggests that leaders often commit virtuous betrayal in the course of exercising their leadership responsibilities during times of organizational change.

I don’t like this idea, at all. I really don’t want to agree with this and I find the mere thought of this deeply troubling. Unfortunately, after reading the article in full, I agree with many of the tenets. Here are a few observations and excerpts:

Building on Latin precursors of the meaning of the word betrayal, Krantz’ viewpoint, is: Betrayal arises from dutiful obligation and involves consignment or “handing over” to a higher purpose.
Betrayal in the service of a higher purpose is inherent in organizational life and deeply linked to the capacity to lead . . . it is a necessity for change and adaptation.
Leaders reveal (often unwanted) truth about directions that must be taken or relinquished. Betrayal, as transgression, enters with recognition that bringing a vision into reality necessarily destabilizes both the status quo and whatever emotional equilibrium has developed around it.
Leaders who betray, even of organizational necessity, bear the guilt of injuring others, especially when there has been a bond of loyalty . . . for leaders of organizations who must often depend on the betrayed going forward, losing emotional contact can be perilous.
Injury is more easily overcome, and the experience of guilt, anger and sadness more easily integrated, when the betrayal occurs in the broader context of institutional purpose.
Incorporating the destructive, aggressive aspects of management into one’s sense of self is a complex challenge, made more difficult by the stylized popular images of leadership that dominate the mass media. Perhaps the sunny, idealized images of leaders who transform through inspiration, passion and love function as a social defense against the darker more troubling realities of leadership. Betrayal requires mobilizing aggression and a certain ruthless privileging of the institutional over the personal, often at great cost to others.
The impact can be corrosive on leaders who sometimes develop callous defensiveness or become scarred by the recurring impact of hurting people with whom they work and on whom they depend. While such postures protect leaders from suffering the consequences of betraying colleagues and followers the underlying splitting and projection inevitably compromises their own effectiveness and that of their organizations.

As Krantz notes, it does seem much writing about leadership glamorizes and idealizes what it means to be a leader. This thought piece is perhaps the most confronting and compelling I’ve come across in the recent past as it relates to the harsh realities of what it can mean to be an effective organizational leader.

The article is 20 pages and requires time and space to digest Krantz’ propositions. Read it. Then, I’d love to hear your reactions.

(Image via Tom Wang/Shutterstock.com)

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Are You a Dictator?

Sarah Agan, Corner Alliance — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 15:00:00 -0400

Are you a leader who is frustrated that members of your team aren't doing what you want them to do?

Perhaps it’s time to take a look in the mirror to see whether you might be the problem.

Merriam-Webster lists among the synonyms for “leader” the words channel, conduit, duct, pipe, line, penstock, trough, tube.

All are mechanisms that allow things to flow through them. While the modern use of the word leader in organizations is widely understood, there might be something to learn from what these synonyms suggest a leader is.

Channels, conduits, ducts, tubes: All have to do with being a mechanism to ensure the flow of something from one place to another. As a leader, do you see yourself as a mechanism for ensuring things get from one place to another? Note that the synonyms do not include anything related to being a spigot, source, gate or dam.

If you are leader generating ideas and pushing them down for others to implement and you aren’t getting the results you want, perhaps you might try a different tact. What if you gave up your need to be the spigot and source of everything and allowed yourself to simply become the mechanism for the ideas of others to travel where they need to go? I know, it requires you give up your need to be in charge and have the answers. Most significantly, it requires you trust others.

In many ways, this notion of a leader as a channel or mechanism through which things need to flow is consistent with prevailing theory around servant leadership.

Robert K. Greenleaf first coined the term “servant leadership” in The Servant as Leader, an essay published in 1970. Other well-known advocates of servant leadership include Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Peter Senge, M. Scott Peck and Margaret Wheatley, to name a few. According to Greenleaf’s essay, his servant as leader philosophy had its roots in a work of 1958 fiction:

"The idea of the servant as leader came out of reading Hermann Hesse’s Journey to the East. In this story, we see a band of men on a mythical journey . . . The central figure of the story is Leo, who accompanies the party as the servant who does their menial chores, but who also sustains them with his spirit and his song. He is a person of extraordinary presence. All goes well until Leo disappears. Then the group falls into disarray and the journey is abandoned. They cannot make it without the servant Leo. The narrator, one of the party, after some years of wandering, finds Leo and is taken into the Order that had sponsored the journey. There he discovers that Leo, whom he had known first as servant, was in fact the titular head of the Order, its guiding spirit, a great and noble leader."

The discourse about leadership is dynamic and varied and perhaps we will never collectively agree on what a leader should be (e.g., commander in chief, guiding spirit, coach). What we can do is continue to explore the textured nuances that weave together the fabric of our human experience. Perhaps the most important question we can answer is: “Who am I as a leader?”

If you are a leader who has leaned more on positional authority (titular power) or telling others what to do (delegating, directing, dictating) and you aren’t getting the results you want, perhaps an experiment is in order. What if you subverted your ego in favor of taking a test drive with servant leadership practices? What if you saw yourself not as the spigot but as the channel? Let others be the source and you be the mechanism for helping them and their ideas manifest as fully as possible.

Three things you can try to get started:

Stop solving (or thinking you are solving) your team’s problems. A Harvard Business Review article, Who's Got the Monkey, highlights the risks of solving other’s problems rather than helping others learn to solve their own problems. Helping others succeed is a fundamental tenet of servant leadership, but first you have to let go of your ego and realize that others can be successful if you let them; if you open yourself as a conduit through which they can contribute, perform, grow and thrive.
Stop talking so much. Yes, some of us (this author included) do way too much talking and woefully too little listening. Get comfortable with silence by practicing the seven-second rule: Wait at least seven seconds before answering your own question or filling the space of silence with your “brilliant” idea. You can also try taking a hint from Charlie Green, a leading authority on what it takes to create and build trust. He advises we limit our talking to two minutes. It’s tough. It’s also really important. If we don’t stop talking we don’t get to hear from others and hearing from others is critical to practicing servant leadership.
Get really curious. Years ago I had a client who was really frustrated with his team; he felt his employees had no ideas, didn’t take ownership for anything and were generally not very engaged. We agreed that he would try an experiment during their next team meeting. He was only allowed to ask questions of his team during the meeting. In sharing how things went during the meeting he said he almost jumped out of skin with the limitation of only asking questions. He said he almost couldn’t do it. And, he said for the first time ever his employees seemed to take ownership for things, came up with some great ideas to issues they had been facing for months, and for the first time he left the meeting without a long list of action items. A few weeks later he reported that his team continued to be on a course of transitioning from being disengaged to being collaborative, turning out some long awaited projects. Allowing the team members to find their own answers, to come up with their own solutions, ultimately created more empowered individuals and a thriving team and organization.

So, if you are a leader frustrated with your team and finding blame everywhere but in the mirror, maybe it’s time to become a channel, duct or conduit by taking a page from the playbook of servant leadership.

(Image via Richard Jary/Shutterstock.com)

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Like Many Federal Leaders, You're Probably Stressed Out

Sarah Agan, Corner Alliance — Tue, 11 Feb 2014 16:00:00 -0500

During the past week I’ve seen half a dozen people who are deeply important to me whom I hadn’t seen in over a year. During each conversation I found myself recounting how much 2013 sucked because of the stress I experienced. I’ve constructed a woe-is-me story that after telling several times I’ve actually found to be just shy of pathetic. We all have our stories. We all have stress.

I don’t have to recount the many 2013 events that created stress for federal leaders. Whether the October government shutdown, debt ceiling crisis, sequestration or general loss of confidence in government, it was a rough year and stress was in abundant supply. So, with so many experiencing the same events, why is it that some people managed to navigate 2013 with relative resilience and others (myself included) could barely cope?

Turns out the difference in how we cope has to do with the story we have about stress which in turn has everything to do with how stress affects us (or doesn’t). The logic and science of the story we construct about stress is explored in this TED talk; essentially turning upside down much of the prevailing narrative about what we’ve been told about stress.

The TED talk illustrates scientific evidence advocating social contact and connection when we are stressed. Of course, the truth is I don’t like this idea because when I am stressed I want to burrow down, shut others out, deal with my stuff and re-emerge when I’ve got it all handled. That’s what I tried to do all of 2013: Now I know why I was miserable last year. The scientific evidence highlights the problem with my 2013 approach to stress: it’s absolutely what NOT to do. Two of the most important things we can do when we are stressed are:

1. Reach out, connect and ask for support. Yikes. Ask for help? If you are like me, you don’t do that. You fancy yourself as the self-appointed fixer of other people’s problems, the one who always manages to save the day, turn people’s lives around, etc. (please make sure to note the sarcasm intended here). I had a real “aha” in summer of 2010 during a workshop, where we were working in pairs to practice effective coaching approaches. I always have others go first with their problems. Amazing how often time runs out and we never get to my problems. I now realize that has been unconsciously by design. No disclosure, no vulnerability and the demon that sentenced me to “looking good” wins again at the risk of allowing others to contribute to me.

Lesson No. 1: The science says when you are stressed, seek connection with others and allow them to contribute to you.

2. Reach out, connect and offer support. You are stressed out and can’t possibly deal with other people’s stuff. You’ve got your own life to deal with, right? Well, the very thing that might help you deal with that stress is to do something for someone else. Turns out the contact and caring/empathy that come with being of service in some way to others may be the perfect antidote to the stress you are feeling. It is true that whatever is the source of the stress may not go away but the story you have about the stress may shift—merely by focusing on others. And as the science indicates, the story about the stress may actually be the issue that you need to address.

Lesson No. 2: Counterintuitive as it may sound, next time the stress cavalry is after you, don’t run away—find something to do to make a difference to someone else.

What’s your story about stress?

(Image via JrCasas/Shutterstock.com)

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Does Your Team Suck…or Are You Just a Bad Leader?

Sarah Agan, Corner Alliance — Wed, 30 Oct 2013 18:56:00 -0400

“My people don’t get it. My staff is incompetent. I feel like I’m babysitting instead of doing real work. My team is dysfunctional. I’m sick of my employees bringing me problems instead of solutions.”

Ever hear yourself registering these complaints to a confidant, significant other, or friend? I’ve heard these laments from many clients. There is good news and there is bad news. The bad news: if you are the leader, you are ultimately responsible for these manifestations and you may be committing leadership malpractice. In fact, the more you complain about your people, the more of an indictment it may be about the kind of leader you are. The good news: you can actually do something about it (but it will take more than venting to turn things around). If you are committed to creating a healthy organization, there are some things you can start doing and some things you can stop doing. Here are a few:

Stop saying your staff doesn’t “get it” and that they’re incompetent. They may or may not “get it” and they may or may not be incompetent. But note that words have meaning and that the language you use to characterize a person or organization has a strange way of creating that reality. Think of the most extraordinary leader you’ve known. It’s unlikely they spent hours complaining about their people. Good leaders are responsible, and intentional, with their language.

Accept that as the leader your job is to get people to do things. If you feel you’re babysitting a class of first graders, look at how you’re leading. Are you behaving more like a first grade teacher or a college professor? Are you micromanaging your employees, watching over their shoulders, checking to make sure they are doing what they are supposed to be doing, talking to them with an air of superiority? If so, you are getting exactly what you have designed your team to give you. A way to stop feeling like you are babysitting is to start acting more like a college professor. For example:

Lay out the course syllabus for the semester (e.g. communicate organizational goals, priorities, etc),
Let people know how they will be graded (e.g. talk about performance management, deliverables/what they are responsible for, how they contribute to the organization and work with the rest of their colleagues),
Create an engaging classroom (e.g. communicate regularly and often using words people understand, and invite people to share ideas, ask questions, etc.).
Make projects and papers worthy of student’s time (e.g. help people understand how the work they do contributes to the mission, why it’s important. Invite people to practice critical thinking in the way they do their work, to challenge assumptions and the status quo.)
Make yourself available. Remember the professors who had office hours. You could go talk with them and discuss whatever you needed. You knew you could count on them to be available. We have many clients who actually hold office hours. While it sounds like a relic of the past, many of our clients are finding this to be invaluable. You may not choose to do that precisely, but make it a priority to be available to your employees so they can get what they need from you to do their jobs.

Coaches who lead losing teams eventually get canned. Coaches who lead teams that have chronic losing streaks eventually lose their jobs. The coach’s job, like your job as a leader, is to figure out how to get your team to perform. Maybe they need more training or skill development in a certain area. Maybe they simply need more specific, timely and regular feedback about their performance: a different grip to deliver a forward spiral. Maybe they are in the wrong role and would be better suited to a different position (maybe your underperforming catcher is a star outfielder). And, yes, it’s true, in some cases they need to be cut from the team. They aren’t ever going to perform – they need to find a new sport. However, it’s unlikely your entire team needs to be canned. If you are wholesale dismissing your staff, it’s time for you to think about how you can be a better coach. And, remember, keep talking about your dysfunctional team and sooner or later folks around will start to question your leadership.

People bring you problems because you solve them. Years ago, a client shared a great article titled Who's Got the Monkey? He was really frustrated by people bringing him their problems when he felt they should be able to come up with some solutions, or at least alternatives. I asked him what he did when people brought him their problems and he indicated he usually “took” their problem. In other words, someone walked into his office with a monkey on his or her back they needed to get rid of and he ended up taking that monkey. So, inadvertently he was creating a culture of dependency; people brought him problems dished up on a silver platter and he accepted them. We talked through a different strategy for him to try. Next time I saw him he told me that someone tried to bring him a monkey on a silver platter and instead of taking the monkey he asked them: “what is it specifically you need from me?” The employee said “well, I guess nothing.” This was years ago. I saw him recently and he said that his new non-monkey-accepting, more-coaching-focused approach had made his life easier and had created a more empowered team.

Next time you go to rattle off the litany of complaints above, pause and consider whether you want to be that leader. Instead, you might communicate the same things as follows:

“My people don’t get it.” = “I need to make it a priority to make sure my staff have what they need.”
“My staff are incompetent.” = “We need to invest in developing more skills, expertise, and making performance management a serious priority.”
“I feel like I’m babysitting instead of doing real work. My team is dysfunctional. ” = “What leadership development do I need to consider to be the kind of leader I want and need to be?”
“I’m sick of my employees bringing me problems instead of solutions.” = “I want to hear ideas from the team: tell me the things that work about X and tell me the things that don’t work or need to be changed about X.”

What’s the biggest complaint you hear yourself saying over and over? How would you use different language to say the same thing in a constructive way?

Image via JrCasas/Shutterstock.com

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Video: Does Israel Have The Answer to Resolving The Shutdown?

Sarah Agan — Mon, 07 Oct 2013 14:17:00 -0400

In an interview last week with Piers Morgan, Benjamin Netanyahu noted that even with its flaws the U.S. has perhaps the greatest system of government in the world. He went on to add that the U.S. would get through this budget stalemate. He then shared a bit about the budget process in Israel.

Netanyahu said they always pass a budget. They always pass a budget because if they don’t they have forced elections. Watch the one-minute video (you’ll have to first tolerate a 30 second ad but it’s worth watching).

Shocker. Do your job (e.g. pass a budget) or you may loose your job. Yep. Simple. Parliamentary democracy...maybe better than we think? (Check out #13 on Ezra Klein's "13 Reasons Washington is Failing" in The Washington Post for more on this theory.

Whatever side you may be on in the shutdown showdown, it’s compelling to think about how Israel’s approach might break the ideological standoff that will most certainly be written as one of the most pathetic chapters in the history of these currently very dis-united states.

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Want to Innovate? 4 Ways to Stimulate Creativity

Sarah Agan — Thu, 26 Sep 2013 16:40:00 -0400

Do you ever feel like that guy Fred from the 1980s Dunkin Donuts commercials? He awakes to the shrill of an old school alarm clock: eyes pop open and before it’s clear he’s even awake, out of his mouth comes“time to make the donuts.” He gets up, shuffles around and continues in a mono-toned muttering “it’s time to make the donuts.” There is another version of him leaving his house, coming home, leaving his house, coming home. He does this, day after day after day - and he makes really great donuts.

Ever feel like that? Feel like you are doing the same thing, over and over and over? Certainly, as the commercial portrays, there is a certain excellence that comes with mastering processes and becoming an expert in one’s field. The ability to repeat and deliver, with consistency, a product or service is part of what creates powerful brands. The allure of capturing the market, being the best, dominating a space is seductive. The question is: with the staggering pace of change, the seemingly hourly influx of invitations to try this, try that, etc. it might be a dangerous proposition to journey forward with blinders on, immune to or perhaps ignoring what’s happening in the space beyond those blinders and assuming innovation isn’t important.

Doing the same thing over and over isn’t intended to be an indictment. In fact, there are statistics that show that it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert in something. The distinction of being an expert is certainly underpinned by the idea that one has repeated things over and over to develop mastery. Consistency, repetitiveness, standards are all really important – so long as the status quo is the intended strategy.

The question is, when new thinking, new ideas, new strategies, new people, are the desired outcome, doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is – well you know – crazy. Innovation and status quo aren’t good bedfellows. If you or your organization need to get out of the same old, same old, there are some relatively simple things to try to jump start your efforts.

1. Change your geography. Yes, literally, by changing your physical location you will inevitably invite new thinking. For example, if you are meeting with others, find a spot to meet or talk where you never have before. And, preferably, choose a place that isn’t business as usual. If you live in DC, try the atrium of the National Portrait Gallery, or if it’s a nice day outside, Lafayette Park, or the lobby of one of the many great hotels. At the risk of turning my favorite quiet hotel lobbies into crowded hot spots by sharing this information, I love the St. Regis, The Willard, and The Mayflower. I also find that my creative juices flow like mad when I am traveling by airplane, during the day and seated at a window where I have an utterly different vantage point from my regular day to day; looking down on the world – it becomes so small and with it all the stresses that serve to constrain otherwise generative thinking and reflection.

2. Change your physicality. If you are really game to try something new, change your micro-geography by changing the physicality of how you normally conduct business. Odd as this sounds, you might have a conversation with someone with your eyes closed or standing up while balancing on one foot, or sitting on the floor with your back against a wall. It doesn’t matter. Just try changing something so it feels different. If you feel a bit silly or uncomfortable, that’s great; it means you are doing something you aren’t used to doing and that is the point.

3. Change the participants. Invite people who haven’t been part of previous conversations, meetings, or efforts to join the dialogue. Though perhaps counter-intuitive, invite people who don’t know anything about what you want to discuss to join you. Many of us are so ingrained in our worlds of the work we do we can no longer see the obvious and, therefore, miss the opportunity to ask the “dumb” – AND often groundbreaking - question that shifts everything. People who don’t know anything and who are encouraged to ask the obvious often are the ones who help shift paradigms. George Bernard Shaw said: “there is no question so difficult to answer as that to which the answer is obvious.”

4. Change the question. Related to changing the participants, another critical element is to simply have a new conversation. One way to begin is to ask a different question. Powerful questions have a way of generating enthusiasm and critical thinking and breaking out of the same old same old. Albert Einstein said“If I had an hour to solve a problem and my life depended on
the solution, I would spend the first 55 minutes determining the proper question to ask, for once I know the proper question, I could solve the problem in less than five minutes.” While perhaps naïve in its simplicity, inquiry is at the heart of such groundbreaking discoveries as the discovery of the double helix, creation of McDonalds (like the Big Mac or not, it was a paradigm shift), and restoration of consumer confidence when Tylenol had to face down scandal.

How do you encourage innovation?

Image via Peshkova/Shutterstock.com

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Want to Succeed? Tell People to Stop Agreeing With You

Sarah Agan — Thu, 11 Jul 2013 17:24:00 -0400

Don’t agree with me. It’s annoying – and not helpful. At our firm we like to say “if you want yes people, don’t hire us.”

But the truth is, I love when people agree with me. It makes things easier. The problem is, it doesn’t necessarily make things better.

Saying yes can be the easy way out. We might say yes to:

Avoid having to do the hard work of figuring out what really needs to be done
Avoid dealing with someone we don’t want to deal with
Just get through something, check the box, and move on to the next thing
Eliminate what might end up looking like conflict (oh the dreaded “c” word)

The problem with these “I say yes when…” scenarios is they are cop-outs. It could mean we just don’t want to do our jobs, do the hard work, or put the effort in to make something better, more useful, etc.

Not saying yes is more difficult. It requires that we:

Turn our brains from being in simmer to full boil mode
Disrupt something already in motion that may be fine to let run its course (fine is boring)
Have to engage in new ideas, new thinking, new possibilities (oh, this takes effort)
Work with people we might rather not work with (horror of horrors!)

I realize that I love nothing more than when I ask someone for their opinion or their ideas and instead of agreeing with me they tell me what they really think. It's refreshing. Their candor makes me come alive and I certainly lean in so I can listen.

“Good lord, this person actually has something to say,” I think. “They are not just an automaton of ‘oh, that’s good, that’s nice, I like it, it looks fine.’”

No wonder things are so out of whack all over the place. Many of us are navigating courses full of pleasantries totally devoid of the juicy (albeit respectfully had) conversations where differences are explored, and alternate perspectives considered.

Now, some of you are saying that there are too many people who have no problem telling us what they really think, they have no tact, and are like the proverbial bull in the china shop. I’m not talking about these folks. I’m talking about getting the real deal, the real download, the real stuff from people who care, want to make a difference and who have some stake in having things be as good as they can be. They are the ones that if you find out what they really think it could make a difference, make an impact, help that boring course you are on change directions and take you someplace worth going.

The problem is, you aren’t asking the right questions. Just for kicks and giggles, next time you are about to ask someone what they think about something, try tweaking your approach: ask them what they like about X and what they don’t like or what they suggest you do differently. Tell them you are bored by what everyone is telling you and looking for someone whose opinion is worth listening to, who isn’t afraid to shed the clothing of the “yes man/woman.”

Oh, it’s so much more fun.

Image via imanolqs/Shutterstock.com

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The Health Benefits of Working With Your Hands

Sarah Agan — Mon, 24 Jun 2013 17:00:00 -0400

In my work, I rarely see tangible, physical benefits that result from my efforts. That’s part of the reason I seriously enjoy physical labor and yard work. After a few hours in the yard, I can actually see evidence of my achievements. I’ve know for years that when spring rolls around, I look forward to mowing, mulching, wedding, planting, pruning, etc. As I dig in the dirt, my mind declutters. Distractions and stress diminish as the dirt accumulates under my fingernails. There are lots of anecdotal reasons for this spike in wellbeing—but I was curious if there was any science to support my own experience. Research shows that bacteria naturally found in soil, called Mycobacterim vaccae:

Activates a group of neurons that produces the brain chemical serotonin. Serotonin – at appropriate levels, is key for regulating mood and contributes to better emotional stability and a better social life, not to mention decreased risk of cardiovascular disease.
Contributes to increased productivity (speed) and less anxiety.

In fact, it’s not just about digging in the dirt. There are compelling arguments about the benefits of working with your hands. Read the book, “Shop Class as Soulcraft” to learn more. The author, a former knowledge worker who gave it all up to open a motorcycle repair shop, explores the dangers of the knowledge economy and getting farther and farther away from being able to actually do useful things.

Other research points to effort driven rewards circuit that:

helps us effectively meet emotional challenges, thus ameliorating depressive symptoms to some extent. Brain-wise, moving our hands activates larger areas of the cortex than movement of other parts of the body such as our legs or back muscles. And more importantly, what drives that effort-driven rewards circuit are physical activities that involve our hands, particularly activities that produce tangible products that we can see, touch, and enjoy. All of this helps alleviate underlying symptoms associated with depression.

Why should we care about any of this? Though presumptive, I’m betting most of us are not producing tangible products as part of the work we do. So, for at least 8 hours a day we are missing out on the scientifically proven benefits of working with our hands. What can we do about it?

Make it a priority to do stuff with your hands when you are not at work. Maybe you don’t have a garden to dig in to stir up those bacteria that activate neurons. Instead, try doing an art project. Or ditch the handyman, grab a hammer, and handle one of those home improvement tasks on the to-do list.
Create tangible things at work that represent the knowledge work. For example, if you are creating a strategic plan, try using wooden blocks that represent the plan. As you move along, build a structure with those blocks to represent the pieces of the plan. It won’t replace digging in the dirt or fixing a car; however, it might give you the sense that your efforts are resulting in something tangible.
Offer incentives and rewards for accomplishing goals. While I’m a huge proponent of the value of acknowledgement, identify tangible/physical things that are awarded once a certain goal is accomplished. That whole carrot thing might be more important than we think

Don’t Have Access to Dirt? Try Singing

You don’t have to get down and dirty to achieve similar results. The benefits of singing and music are so voluminous. It turns out that whole “silly touchy-feeling” idea of singing kumbaya actually has some pretty significant benefits.

Consider that singing:

Builds Trust and Boosts Your Immunity. A June 2008 article published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) lays out compelling scientific evidence of the physical and mental health benefits of singing.
Allows You to Breathe More Easily and Alleviate Stress. While breathing more easily may not on the surface seem all that important, it’s huge. It helps with fatigue and is a powerful ally in dealing with stress. Singing also helps to increase respiratory health and strengthen lung function.
Is Part of Our Evolutionary History. In addition to releasing the “feel good hormone (Dopamine) and bonding hormone (Oxytocin), singing is a fundamental element of our evolutionary history. Singing has played a significant role in oral traditions and even in organizations such as IBM.

Check this out:

Dusolina Giannini, dramatic soprano of the Metropolitan Opera Association, was vacationing in Europe in 1938 when IBM's president, Thomas J. Watson, Sr., was on a business visit to the continent. At his invitation, Miss Giannini attended a dinner at Bad Gastein, Austria, given in honor of IBM representatives from 25 European countries and their spouses. Miss Giannini, who entertained the gathering with selections from her most famous roles, was so impressed with the IBM spirit, that she called Tom Watson the following day to propose that she ask her brother, Vittorio Giannini -- a composer of considerable renown -- to write an IBM anthem. The composition premiered in New York City at the banquet of the 1938 Hundred Percent Club, May 4, 1939, and was sung by the entire assembly:

Lift up our proud and loyal voices,
Sing out in accents strong and true,
With hearts and hands to you devoted,
And inspiration ever new;
Your ties of friendship cannot sever,
Your glory time will never stem,
We will toast a name that lives forever,
Hail to the I.B.M.

So, while you may not be ready to write a theme song/anthem for your organization, that whole kumbaya thing might help you take better care of yourself.

Whether digging in the dirt, singing out loud or combining the two and whistling while you work, the point is that you should do the things you know, and that science has shown, will make you feel better. Your health and wellbeing may be the most important strategies for not just surviving, but thriving, in these times of high stress, dissatisfaction, frustration, and uncertainty.

Image via Pakhnyushcha/Shutterstock.com

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The Seduction of Being 'Busy'

Sarah Agan — Fri, 24 May 2013 14:43:00 -0400

My husband is tired of hearing me say “I’m so busy.” I’m tired of hearing me say it too.

Often, I talk about this overwhelm as if I’m the busiest person around. Truth is, I don’t know anyone who isn’t busy. Perhaps this is the new world order for those of us who frequent sites like Excellence in Government (i.e. there aren’t many organic farmers reading these posts...).

So what’s up with all the busyness? Americans are some of the busiest people around—and we tend to be proud of that. Studies have shown that:

36 percent of Americans don’t plan to use all their vacation days.
One-third of U.S. employees report feeling chronically overworked.
39 percent of people work more than a typical 40-hour workweek.
And that 44 percent of us have gained weight as a result of all this stress and time we spend “busy” with work.

And that's just a sampling of how "busy" we are. There's a depressingly large amount of social science on the matter.

What Can You Do?

I’ve tried to tackle my busyness with myriad techniques, tools and tricks. The funny thing is, they result in MORE work, not less (you've no doubt heard some variation of the fact that 23 percent of people who make to-do lists spend more time making said lists than doing the tasks on them).

Personally, I am really good at being "busy." I'm a busyness machine--like an out of control printer spitting out print job after print job after print job – occasionally taking a forced pause to have my toner refilled. Then back to cranking out the rest of the queue.

Powering through to get it all done, I've grown to realize, isn’t working. The destiny of "done" or being "complete" doesn’t really exist in our knowledge economy. That was a post-industrial trapping that is forever buried beneath the unstoppable and unconscious course we’ve charted toward the seduction of eternal busyness

So, I decided to try a different approach. STOP. No tricks, no games. Just stop. Stop responding and doing and calling and emailing and being busy! In other words: In order to stop being busy, I had to stop being busy.

I had to let go of the fear that I was going to miss something or drop balls. Is it possible in the age of the 24/7 real-time enterprise and constant onslaught of communication to get everything and miss nothing? No way. And should we try, then the best we can ever do is simply keep up. And that, my friends, is impossible.

So, this holiday weekend I’m stopping. The busyness will be waiting for me next week. For now, it's time to simply stop.

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Why You Need 180 Seconds of Silence

Sarah Agan — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 15:35:00 -0400

What’s the best thing to do for your crazy-busy, super stressed out, overachieving team?

180 seconds of silence.

Some background: Last week a colleague and I were designing a short strategy meeting for one of the federal offices we work with. Our client was late to the planning call and, when she hopped on the phone, informed us she had only 90 seconds to talk. Instead of reviewing the prepared agenda, she vented about how her team was swamped, they were buried in work and would be in a mad dash for the next six months.

We listened as she talked for five minutes (instead of the 90 seconds she'd originally promised). She didn’t like that our agenda for the strategy meeting was heavy on action planning—she felt the team was already at capacity and that putting more dates, milestones and deliverables on their plates would only make things worse, not better.

Action plans were a non-starter, so we proposed that the best use of the team’s time would be to have a conversation about how they could sustain themselves as they scrambled to meet tight deadlines. Our client got quiet, taking in what we said, and responded, “That would be very useful.”

Fast forward to the day of our meeting: We have a total of two hours.

I turn to my client and let her know we’d like her to say a few things to open the meeting but before doing that my colleague and I have a short exercise we’d like to do to transition the team from the frenzy of their day to the meeting.

We wanted to slow things down a bit...

I told the team we were going to sit in silence for 180 seconds. I’d set a timer and, when we were done, they’d hear the alarm go off. We’d then start the meeting.

I set the timer. The team sat in silence. 180 seconds of total silence—an eternity when you’re with others. No talking. No laughing. Just silence.

Admittedly, I wondered if perhaps this was a bit silly. Even I was unprepared for how long three minutes of silence felt. But slowly, a calm started to settle in over the room. Until finally:

*Ding* *Ding* *Ding* *Ding*

As the alarm shattered the silence, our client opened her eyes, turned to me and said, “That was the most valuable three minutes I’ve had all week.”

The team had slowed down, their frenzy—worn on their faces when they came in the room—was visibly absent, and we got to work figuring out how they could get through the weeks and months ahead.

At the end of the meeting my client shook my hand, thanked me, and said she would be starting all team meetings with 180 seconds of silence.

Three minutes to take stock, reset and get clear. How do you help your team reset during periods of high stress?

Image via NLshop/Shutterstock.com

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The 4 Times You Should Say Exactly What You Think

Sarah Agan — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 17:39:00 -0500

The week after Thanksgiving I had the privilege of hearing Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner speak to a group of Treasury employees and contractors. Someone asked him what he thought were things that were really important for his successor to do/think about.

I’m going to paraphrase what he said, but one of the pieces of advice he offered his successor, who we now know is former Obama Chief of Staff Jack Lew, was to make sure “you hire and surround yourself with people who will tell you the things you really need to hear: the stuff that may even piss you off and that upon first hearing you might dismiss because you don’t agree. “

Geithner’s advice is widely supported. While not specifically focused on the importance of sharing the tough stuff, a Forbes article outlines 6 reasons employees must speak up to thrive at work. The reasons include things like having influence, enhancing performance, strengthening personal brand, commanding respect, career acceleration, and creating unexpected opportunities.

Sounds great, right? Maybe. Likely. And, before you stop reading to go exhume all those unhad conversations and spend the rest of your day telling everyone what you really think, take another minute and consider the following:

When to Share Inner Voice:

When you've thought about your intent. If your intent in sharing Inner Voice is to complain or vent don’t do it. Well, do it, just go find a safe place/ear to get that “venting” out of your system so you can then discern what well-intentioned Inner Voice conversation needs to be had with the person or persons who most need to hear it.
When you're not attached to an outcome. If you plan to share Inner Voice as a tactic to try and get your way or enforce your agenda, reconsider. It’s tough to share something that is important to you without being attached to an outcome – it takes practice. This said, it’s critically important to making sure the person with whom you are speaking can actually hear your Inner Voice. If s/he feels you are sharing Inner Voice in order to “get something” they may feel like you are trying to manipulate them and you could end up making things worse.
When you're not triggered or emotionally hijacked. My husband would say “act, don’t react.” Better to be in a balanced and centered place when you have something important to share – otherwise people won’t hear you. Rants don’t work. Well-intentioned Inner Voice conversations can. Even if you don’t get the outcome you are looking for you WILL feel better for having summoned the courage to speak your truth. And you never know how what you had to say may make a difference later on.
When you accept Inner Voice doesn’t come with a guarantee. While we find most of the time Inner Voice results in a positive outcome, it’s important to recognize there is some risk involved in summoning the courage and then having the tough conversation. The adages “nothing ventured, nothing gained” and “high-risk, high-reward” come to mind here. It’s about sharing the good stuff, too. Lest you think Inner Voice is only about sharing the tough stuff, it’s also about having the courage to share the good stuff that we equally often don’t share for fear of sounding touchy feely, coming across as soft, or feeling uncomfortable. Acknowledging people for no reason other than you are inspired to do so is also an example of sharing Inner Voice. Tip: if your acknowledgement isn’t authentic, don’t do it!

The net-net: sharing Inner Voice takes what’s been in monologue into dialogue and as a result can fundamentally change the conversation. Once we change the conversation we create new possibilities for our relationships, our work, and our lives.

Image via Alias Ching/Shutterstock.com

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Making Anything Possible: My Dog, Journaling and the Gift of Perspective

Sarah Agan — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 14:52:00 -0500

On April 16, 2010 we got the call from Costa Rica. It was the call that I feared most and that I knew one day would come. My husband Robert’s mother Theresa was dead. The neighbor saw her through the kitchen window, on the floor, there was no question she was gone. You can imagine the utter sense of powerlessness to get a call like that, knowing there is no earthly way to get there immediately since we live in Washington, D.C. So we cried and held each other and booked the next flight – the following morning at 6 a.m.

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So much happened in the week that followed it would require a book to recreate. What is relevant to this column is that in the midst of a week where we seemed to become super-human – dealing with heartbreak, loss, and the more tangible yet monumental tasks of figuring out how to handle the estate, we also needed to figure out what to do with Coby.

A Resucue Mission Is Born

Coby is the dog born to a stray Robert’s parents adopted when they first moved to Costa Rica in the fall of 1999. We’ve known him since he was a pup and he was Robert’s mother’s faithful companion after she lost Gunther, Robert’s father, in 2004. In April of 2010 Robert and I already had two older dogs. The LAST thing we needed was a third older dog who was not housebroken, who was used to roaming the dirt streets of the neighborhood where Robert’s parents lived and who we didn’t even know if we could get out of the country. Theresa always told us the vet loved Coby and would adopt him at a moment’s notice.

We talked with the vet, managing to cobble together a conversation with his little bit of English and our little bit of Spanish. We asked the vet if he would like to adopt Coby.

In broken English, he replied, “ He is such a sweet dog. I have five now so I cannot take him. But you can leave him with me and I will try to find a home and if I cannot…morta.”

Wh, wait – morta means death!

“I think he said if he couldn’t find a home he would put him down,” I whispered to Robert. I know this man thought he was being generous, doing us a favor…but we weren’t going to let that happen.

We stiffened, smiled an exasperated smile, and let out a warm “no possible!” and went on our way.

Wrestling with the Inevitable

Despite all the other things we had to handle, in that moment we resolved our new number one priority was getting Coby out of Costa Rica. And so ensued a major ordeal that, thankfully, eventually resulted in Coby coming to live with us. He is an extraordinary gift, somewhat not of this world, and we literally cannot imagine life without him. For Robert he is the last link to his parents – as you can see, this little guy is special beyond words.

And he is sick. He has end-stage kidney disease. We found out about this the first week in January. On the heels of the one-year anniversary of the loss of our beloved Gem we have been dealing with the reality of Coby’s health condition. For those of you who have loved an animal, you know there is no sugar-coating things; it’s just brutal. I’ve found myself focused on nothing other than making Coby’s quality of life the best it can possibly be, which has included trips to the butcher to buy venison – one of the only things he’ll eat – and giving him daily fluids under the skin using an IV bag, tube, and needles. For those of you wondering if our efforts are heroic and perhaps it’s time to let him go – we aren’t there. He still wags his tail, enjoys slow walks in the park, and relishes a nap on the deck in the sun.

All of this said, because of the stress of it all, I’ve been upset, quick to temper, distracted, and quite cranky. So three days ago I had to do something because I was just miserable with myself and really out of whack, so I resurrected one of my no-fail productivity habits: gratitude journaling.

Journaling: Gratitude, Intention and Possibility

While I first shared this practice here in December , I left out two important parts of the three-part habit: intention and possibility. Since resurrecting this habit four days ago, life is working a whole heck of a lot better. I know that in order to make Coby as healthy and happy as he can be, I have to do a better job making sure I am healthy and happy. So, here’s what I’m doing…

Before I get sucked into the day's tasks and busy-ness, I take a few minutes to write the following:

For what and whom I am grateful. I just write until I'm done. It's extraordinary to see how the things and people I’m grateful for are contributing to an overall happiness in my life. We live in a world focused on fixing what's not working. When we pause to focus on what is working, what is good, and what we are grateful for, we invite more of that into our life.
My intention for the day. As with taking the time to focus on being grateful, pushing the pause button before jumping into the doing and expressing an intention for the day helps create a sense of larger purpose and peace.
Inventing a possibility. I use the following structure: the possibility I am inventing today for myself and my life is the possibility of ___________________. There is a generative nature to inventing possibilities and I find it an absolutely critical aspect to living a life I love – and helping me have a good, productive day.

Remember, possibility could be anything and everything: finishing a long overdue task, making forward motion on a stalled initiative or simply having a great day. It's up to you.

The key to this three-step daily practice is just taking the time to do it and not over-thinking it. Sometimes I do it in five minutes and sometimes I spend more. What matters is less how much time I take to do it and more that I make an effort to do it. Making this part of my daily practice contributes to a sense of peace and connectedness – for myself and those around me; including little sweet Coby.

Remembering the support of who and what I'm grateful for coupled with beginning each day with intention allows for anything to be possible, if you choose to let it.

Give it a try.

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Do You Have a Brag Partner?

Sarah Agan — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 14:00:00 -0500

I had an important meeting today that was preceded by a stress dream last night. For me a stress dream stems from my fear that I’m going to fail at something, disappoint someone or not live up to an expectation that I’ve set for myself. For example, in college when I worked in a restaurant the stress dream was about forgetting about the drinks my customer ordered, or in college it was about showing up for class after having skipped the whole semester only to find out it was final exam time. In my dream last night my stress stemmed from feeling like I had no control over a big meeting I was supposed to lead.

I survived my dream and the meeting today went extremely well. Using Inner Voice (which is one of our values at Corner Alliance), I have to say, I was proud of myself today. I called my husband to tell him how it went and he was, as he always is, happy to hear me happy. I then called my good friend who also knows me professionally.

My friend has been on the journey with me for years to slay my Fraud Monster and tame the anxieties that I inevitably face when preparing for certain types of engagements. She is aware of the demons that I’ve allowed to hijack my own success and she deals with her own versions of “self-induced” professional drama – so we can relate to one another.

When I called her today she was quick to tell me she was on a plane and had only a minute. I said, perfect…”I wanted to tell you how proud I am of myself – I did a really great job facilitating an important client meeting…I actually feel a bit silly about saying this and even a bit childish. AND, I really want to acknowledge myself.”

She was thrilled to hear me say what I said. She said, “I have the same issue…I’ve been up since 3:45 this morning stressed about the workshop I have tomorrow. I know I’m going to do a great job because I usually do, yet I’m stressed. And tomorrow after I’ve done a great job I’ll want to share that with someone but I probably won’t because of what you said: feeling silly or childish.”

I proposed that she and I create the possibility of being BRAG partners--a person who can act as an accomplishments confidant, allowing you space to acknowledge the things you do well without holding back. She loved it. I love it. As for stress dreams tonight I don’t anticipate any as both my meetings tomorrow are cancelled. If I have trouble falling asleep maybe I’ll count fraud monsters instead of sheep.

UPDATE: my friend sent a text tonight, it said: Brag moment: someone in today’s workshop said he has had 60 – 70 weeks of sales training over his career and that today was among the best.

How do you make space to acknowledge your own accomplishments?

Image via Tom Wang/Shutterstock.com

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Get Out of Your Own Way by Taming Your ‘Fraud Monster’

Sarah Agan — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 14:19:00 -0500

What Fraud Monster you ask? If you don’t have some idea of what I’m talking about this article isn’t for you and I’d invite you to spend your time reading one of the other great blogs on Excellence in Government.

On the other hand, if your first reaction to my question is: “Oh wow – you have one too?” then you may find some comfort knowing that you are not alone in the war you wage against the demons that hold you back, hijack your success, and have you play small in the world.

Making Friends With My Fraud Monster

In spite of 17 years working in the same field, with some noted success, I still suffer from the fear that I don’t know what I’m doing, that my luck is going to run out and that people are surely about to find out that I am a fraud. It’s a terrible affliction I seemed to have sentenced myself to early in my career. It wasn’t until recently that I started to figure out how to make peace with what I call my Fraud Monster.

A few years back a longtime colleague and friend, Joe, called me to talk about doing some work with one of his clients who was the CEO of a fortune 500 company. The client wanted to do some work with his leadership team. I half listened to Joe as he laid out why he thought I was a good fit to work with the team. Simultaneously, the other half of me waged the familiar, silent war of confidence with my Fraud Monster who laid out all the reasons this was a really BAD idea: you don’t know what you are doing, you’ll be found out, you’ve just been lucky up until now. If you are still reading, you know what I am talking about and have undoubtedly had this same conversation with your Fraud Monster.

In somewhat of a panic at the mere idea of doing the work Joe wanted me to consider doing I hung up the phone, a slight bit of nausea overtaking me (I realize this sounds ridiculous). I don’t know what propelled me to do this but I had an immediate and quite serious “get real” moment with myself. What did I have to lose? I wrote my friend an email and pretty much laid out what I thought I could contribute. It was the first time I can remember shedding the ‘shoulds’ of what I thought I was supposed to say and instead being totally me, in my own words, and with my own different take on what was possible. I read what I wrote about what I could contribute and thought – well, clients don’t pay for that stuff. I sent the email anyway. My friend responded right away saying “this is exactly why I want you to work on this project.” As we concluded our virtual conversation I had what for me will go down as an “aha” moment in my life and the real point of this story:

I realized I’d spent the better part of my career creating what at that point was a full-fledged Fraud Monster. He (yes it’s a he) was big and scary and I kept him bolt-locked away in a dark closet - but I knew he was always there. He would often bang on the closet door, roaring to get out, rarely a moment’s peace would he allow me. He would sometimes escape from the closet and chase me around, creating fear, intimidation and rendering me powerless; my only option was to run away from him lest he catch and destroy me.

I was tired of waging war. My energy was depleted.

In a moment of inspiration and with a belief that waging this war was fruitless, I decided to create a game instead. The game was “make friends with your Fraud Monster.” I recreated my Fraud Monster as being small and instead of being in a closet I imagined that he sits with me, next to my laptop as I’m working. He is (in my mind) small enough that I control him and I can pick him up at any time and move him. He won’t ever go away, he’s always been with me—it’s just that I’ve spent energy trying to keep him locked in a closet instead of embracing the possibility of making friends with my Fraud Monster. So, I wouldn’t say he’s a friend though he is with me nearly every day and in some ways he helps me remember to never let my ego take over. It’s been extraordinarily powerful for me to now relate to my Fraud Monster as being manageable. Having accepted that I am bigger and more powerful than he is allows me to be peaceful as he sits by my side as I navigate the world. If he gets out of hand, there is always that dark closet!

How Can You Start to Tame Your Fraud Monster?

If you, like I, have suffered under the threat of an escaped Fraud Monster, I hope you find a way to make peace and don’t let him or her hijack the contributions you have to make. If I was still trying to keep my big scary Fraud Monster locked at bay in some fictitious closet I can wholeheartedly guarantee I wouldn’t be, among other things that I love to do, sharing this story with you right now.

If you are still reading, invest five more minutes and try the following:

Give a name to whatever is holding you back (what you are afraid of?)
Imagine (and in your mind create) whatever that thing is as something that could actually physically exist (for me, my Fraud Monster is about 7 inches tall with wild scraggly hair and three big buggy dissimilarly sized eyes)
Make sure the image you create is small enough that if it were real you could control it – so you feel you in fact have control over it
Don’t try to make it go away – instead, find a way to be peaceful about whatever it is and trust that creating this new relationship may help shift this thing from holding you back to helping you thrive.

How do you manage feelings that you’re not good enough?

Image via Albert Ziganshin/Shutterstock.com

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Start Your Day With The 8 Irresistible Principles of Fun

Sarah Agan — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 10:49:00 -0500

Do you have 525 seconds to spare from your busy, stressful day? If so, watch the below video.

It’s called the Eight Irresistible Principles of Fun . Every time I watch it I am reminded about what matters most in life and am more energized, less stressed, and more connected to what’s possible. In case you need a little teaser to actually watch the video, here are the principles:

Get Focused: Stop Hiding Who You Really Are.
Get Focused: Start Being Intensely Selfish.
Be Creative: Stop Following the Rules.
Be Creative: Start Scaring Yourself.
Use Your Wisdom: Stop Taking It All So Damned Seriously.
Use Your Wisdom: Start Getting Rid of the Crap.
Take Action: Stop Being busy.
Take Action: Start Something.

Check it out below. I promise it's a fantastic way to start your day:

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In the Face of Loss, How Gratitude Helped Me Thrive

Sarah Agan — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 15:00:00 -0500

December 1, 2011: “I am grateful for life and breath and Robert and woofers.” – Sarah

December 1, 2011: “I am grateful for my lovely Sarah and all she brings in my life.” - Robert

Last December my husband Robert and I did an experiment we called “31 Days of Gratitude.” Each day we wrote down what we are grateful for. Robert wrote bullets (of course)—I wrote paragraphs. I do some version of gratitude journaling on a sporadic and unpredictable basis and recognize how powerful it is to express gratitude . When I invited Robert to do it with me last year I was both surprised and overjoyed that he agreed. To say our gratitude experiment was “really great” doesn’t begin to scratch the surface of the depths of what we got from the experience of doing this practice together for a specific period of time.

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Little did we know when we started our experiment on December 1 that five days later one of our three dogs, Coby, would have a seizure in the middle of the night. We rushed to the emergency clinic where he stayed overnight. When we took him the next day to our regular vet for a more thorough check-up we took along one of other dogs, Gem. Though 13.5 years old it seemed Gem had been really slowing down so we wanted to make sure there wasn’t anything going on with her. Coby was fine. Gem was not. Her red blood cell counts were dangerously low. She had cancer all over her body; the disease had already attacked her lungs. It was devastating news. Gem, the first dog my husband and I got together. Gem, who came to us from German Shorthair Pointer rescue during Christmas 2000, who taught us about unconditional love, the beauty of satisfying simple needs, and the importance of making time to play. We loved her too much to even entertain the selfish possibility of putting her through some heroic attempts at extending the inevitably short rest of her life.

We brought her home and cried a lot. We did our gratitude thing:

December 6, 2011: “I am grateful to remember the past, know the present, and dream the future.” – Robert

December 11, 2011: “I am grateful that Robert is (in his word) “digging this gratefulness thing.” I’m grateful for a roof over my head, Christmas music to calm my soul, a perfect Christmas tree to remind me to be charitable and grateful, family close by, friends to make cupcakes for, charitable causes to contribute to, a good day with our dear Gem and for our three lovely dogs to help us keep things in perspective. I’m grateful that I’m about to rub Robert’s feet.”

In the quiet of the days after Gem’s MRI we were forced to come to terms with what at the time felt like a brutal reality we knew we would never be ready to face . In the midst of what was a heartbreaking time for us we continued to express our gratitude . We watched Gem each hour, each day as she persevered and did what she could to navigate with the grace and dignity that which defined her canine being. We watched her back legs give out when she needed to go to the bathroom. So we supported her back legs. We watched her look longingly at the couch – knowing she could no longer spring up to her comfy napping spot. So we helped her up to the couch. We struggled to get her to eat. So we fed her whatever she wanted to try and keep up the little strength she had (she ate a lot of bacon in those last days of her life). We watched with twisted hearts as she collapsed to the floor after lowering her head to drink water. So we held her steady while she drank.

We cried a lot. We did our gratitude thing.

December 19 ^th : “I’m grateful for the armed services men and women for their time spent protecting our country. I’m grateful for a warm home.” – Robert

December 25 ^th : “I’m grateful for this Christmas morning – coffee and holiday music and Gem here in front of the tree. I’m grateful for Zeke (our other dog) and Coby and Robert. I’m grateful for my life. I’m grateful for the freedom to make choices. I’m grateful for deep satisfying breath and I’m grateful for the times when Zeke licks my feet. I’m grateful for the comfort of heat on a cold winter’s day. I’m grateful for a good night’s sleep. I’m grateful for the freedom to dream and to love and to feel. I’m grateful for Zeke’s watchful eye. - Sarah

On December 26 Robert and I watched Gem watch us. Her big brown eyes locked on Robert then locked on me. This went on for hours as we visited with family and friends and played scrabble. She was alert. It was like she was taking in everything she could – as if she knew some long journey lay ahead. Robert carried her out that evening to go to the bathroom and she managed a brief stance on her own as she looked across the valley at the setting sun. Later that night we told Gem we would never be ready for her to go . Then we told her when she needed to go, it was OK. We called our dear friend and neighbor who is a vet. We let her know we might need her help the next day. We asked her to come to our house in the morning to see how Gem was doing and to be prepared to help us say goodbye to her. We would never be ready to say goodbye.

At 10:15 a.m. on Dec. 27, Gem left for eternal pastures and fields to run and romp and play. She was ready and she went with extraordinary peace.

December 27 ^th : “I’m grateful to love Gem enough that we didn’t let her suffer anymore. I’m grateful she got to see the beginnings of one last sunset. I’m grateful to Coby for alerting us to Gem’s condition so we could give her the best possible last days on this earth.” – Sarah

December 27 ^th : “I’m grateful for learning through hard experiences.” – Robert

December 28 ^th : “I’m grateful for tears to release our heart’s expression.” – Sarah

December 29 ^th : “I’m grateful for companionship and love. I am extremely grateful for our incredible Gem. There is so much to say. A wonderful being that has helped me become more vulnerable. The wisdom in her curious eyes made me become a loudly silent person.” – Robert

The world spins through the cosmos oblivious to our lives - never stopping to ask us if we’d like it to pause for a rest so we can deal with our life. Alas, the world does not stop doing its thing. Ready or not, the world keeps spinning and life goes on. We are surrounded by sorrow and joy and pain and beauty and struggles and dreams. These are the fabrics that weave the tapestry that is our life. In the midst of all, remember that no matter what, there is always something for which or someone for whom to be grateful. Know it. Share it.

December 1, 2012: “I’m grateful for this day, for deep breath, and for the opportunity to share this story with you.” – Sarah

December 1, 2012: “Today I am grateful for remembering and reflecting on the friendship I had with my sweet girl Gem.” - Robert

Robert and I invite you to join us in our “31 Days of Gratitude” this December 2012.

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How to TRULY Go on Vacation, Webster-style

Sarah Agan — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 13:30:00 -0500

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Another Reason to Work on Vacation: Tax Deduction

I heard the other day on the radio that if you work while on vacation you may be able to deduct a portion of your vacation expenses when you file your taxes. Makes sense…sort of. Mostly it made me think about what vacation really means. Webster’s defines vacation as:

a respite or a time of respite from something : intermission
a scheduled period during which activity (as of a court or school) is suspended
a period of exemption from work granted to an employee
a period spent away from home or business in travel or recreation

Clearly, as defined by Webster, vacation has to do with time away. Perhaps we really aren’t technically going on vacation anymore. What we are doing is going to vacation places and continuing to work. Does this mean our whole selves (work and life) are becoming more integrated and thus leading to lives over which we ultimately have more control? Or, are we creating lives where there are no longer boundaries that used to define our work and home life?

You Working on Vacation is Selfish

We saw dear friends last week that had been on “vacation.” The husband had to leave for a one-day business trip in the middle of their so-called vacation. My friend (the wife) was clearly irritated about this and said something to the effect of “I’m sick of this happening all the time.” I realized that for those who are doing the work on vacation they may think it’s helping them stay on top of things, have a more integrated life, etc. However - and yes I mean this as a “but sandwich” - for those not working while on vacation they are really being robbed of the joy of what used to be cherished time away from work (or some other regular activity) during which families are totally focused on being together or people are free of distractions to focus on non-work things that matter to them.

If you are in the company of someone “on vacation” who continues to jump on conference calls, check emails, quickly review documents or talk about work, it is no fun. I used to be the person in my relationship who most often violated the rules of what it means to be on vacation. My husband would point out that even when I wasn’t on one of those calls or checking emails, my mind was still engaged in work. I couldn’t fake my presence. While I may have been physically present I wasn’t present in any other sense of the word. My husband said he knew when my eyes moved rapidly I was thinking about work. I realized I didn’t want to be in the company of that “me” pretending to be on vacation. Now when I go on vacation, I go on vacation, Webster-style.

The No-Kidding Test for Whether You are REALLY Going on Vacation

The best test for whether you are really going on vacation is to see what your “out of office” message says (yes, I know some of you are saying that “out of office” messages are passé). My “out of office” message says: “I’ll be out of the office from x day to x day during which time I will not be checking email or voicemail. If you need assistance before I return, please contact so and so.” Guess what? The world has not come to an end because I went on a real vacation. What happens is other people step in and take care of things. It’s really not that complicated. Make yourself available and people will take you up on your offer to be available – vacation or not.

Thriving When Our Minds are Away From “It” All

The good news is there’s new evidence that our minds thrive while away from it all. Research conducted at the University of Kansas concludes that people from all walks of life show startling cognitive improvement — for instance, a 50 percent boost in creativity — after living for a few days steeped in nature.

Why not take a real vacation? Business will go on (yes, even without you), things will be OK. It’s easy. Simply put away your electronic wireless device du jour. Look up and watch for shooting stars, look out and glimpse the setting sun, remove whatever hands free device is in your ear and listen to the peepers and coyotes. Go be utterly and totally with the ones who love you.

With Thanksgiving in the rearview and Christmas and other winter holidays ahead, how will you make sure you’re truly on vacation?

(Image via Stanislav Komogorov/Shutterstock.com)

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