Karl Edwards presents Working Matters

Category: Loving Monday

  • Loving Monday: What Matters? Your Choice

    loving_mondayThere’s a lot on your plate.

    There usually is.

    Of all that is clambering for your attention, what matters today?

    What matters in general, sure, but more pertinently, what matters enough to get you to put everything else down?

    It comes down to choices. It’s nice to identify many things as important. It’s nice to have deep convictions, core values, and clear priorities.

    But when all is said and done (or, said and said again, more commonly), a choice needs to be made.

    The choice to apply my efforts to something in particular and to do it now.

    Questions of convictions, values and priorities are only meaningful and helpful to the extent that they help us make choices.

    In fact, the question might better be asked the other way around: “What have you chosen to do today?” The answer to that question points to what your true convictions, values and priorities are.

    If today matters, (and I am assuming that it does), then we need to start making choices before the day slips through our fingers.

    What does your current choice tell you about what matters to you? If not consistent with your convictions, values and priorities, what adjustment might you make?

    Think about it maybe a little, but more importantly make your next choice. Today matters.

    On your side,

    – Karl Edwards

    Loving Monday is a weekly column designed to encourage us to step into our weeks with an intention to show up authentically, engage fully, and choose to make it a good week for ourselves. Explore past columns here.

  • Loving Monday: From Occasional to Ordinary

    loving_mondayGet up right now and walk over to a co-worker and thank them for being a part of the team.

    Don’t pause. Don’t hesitate. Don’t over-think this one. Simply go let someone know that you appreciate them and then come back and finish reading this post.

    How was it? Did they look at you with bewildered astonishment? Did they smile and return an awkward thank-you?

    I‘d love to see a movement where expressions of appreciation at work went from being occasional to being ordinary.

    There doesn’t need to be a reason to express appreciation. In fact, the element of surprise is one of the best parts.

    What if work became the sort of place where one could expect to be appreciated and valued? Hearing things like, “Thank you” and “I’m glad you’re here” would be ordinary experiences instead of isolated rarities.

    What would it be like?

    Would would it be like to know that whatever your mood, whatever your mistake, whatever the complications of the day, there would be an atmosphere (more…)

  • Loving Monday: Tell Yourself the Truth

    loving_mondayToo many leaders are unable or unwilling to tell people the truth.

    It is sad but true.

    This inability to trust others with the truth covers myriad facets of work life. The truth about company finances, the truth about impending lay-offs, the truth about promotion prospects, the truth about changing deadlines, the truth about management planning… and the list goes on.

    Today I want to focus on the unfortunate reality that so many leaders cannot tell you the truth about you.

    FACT: Everyone has strengths, skills, talents and abilities. Therefore there is always something to affirm, empower and reward about everyone on the team.

    FACT: Everyone is imperfect, learning, makes mistakes, chokes, falters, and fails on occasion. Therefore there is always room for constructive confrontation.

    If leaders could tell people the truth about themselves, they would never be at a loss for extending compliments, expanding responsibilities or extending rewards. At the same time, in the ordinary course of events, leaders would be pointing out (more…)

  • Loving Monday: Is Happiness on the Menu Today?

    loving_mondayIf only choosing one’s attitude were as simple as selecting from a restaurant menu.

    “Let’s see… I think I’ll have an appetizer of peaceful contentedness, a main course of focused determination and for dessert, some joyful spontaneity.”

    Yes, we choose our attitude. Theoretically, then, any attitude is available to choose any time.

    But no, that choice does not take place in a vacuum. Theory goes out the window, and the choice to work with focused determination right after your boss humiliated you in front of your co-workers becomes almost impossible.

    All the coaching or coaxing in the world couldn’t convince you that a constructive attitude is still on the menu. In fact, to suggest so feels insulting and insensitive.

    What to do then with the choice we need to make next? The choice about going forward. How we go forward. The choice of attitude.

    This is the problem with the menu analogy for accepting responsibility for one’s choices. It’s not as simple as choosing chicken instead of beef, or wine instead of beer.

    As much as many leaders might prefer otherwise, human beings are not robots governed solely by their logical inputs. Human beings are multi-faceted, (more…)

  • Loving Monday: Facing Distasteful Realities

    loving_mondayTaxes are due today. Los Angeles City business taxes. While the procrastinator in me wants to postpone the unpleasant task until April 15th when the Federal and State personal income taxes are due, such is not the reality I face.

    In principle I can say that it is easier to face reality than to avoid it. I can also say that the earlier one can face any given reality, however distasteful, the better off one will be on a number of emotional and practical fronts.

    In practice, though…

    Let’s just say it’s easier to talk the talk than to walk the walk.

    Distasteful realities are just that… distasteful. We want to complain about the unfairness of it all, the wastefulness, the extra work, the boring work, or the awful people involved. We want the situation to be other than it is. (At least I do.)

    There is no other way to cut it. No way to make some tasks pleasant. No way to add sugar to the bitterness. No way to remove the sliver.

    The key, I have found, is in learning to receive and accept reality, however (more…)

  • Loving Monday: Dreading Monday

    loving_mondaySome Mondays don’t seem worth getting up for.

    Some Mondays hold nothing but dread for us. It could be the dread of facing a seemingly insurmountable problem. It could be the dread of enduring another day of intolerable boredom. It could be the dread of overwhelming volumes of work.

    In apparent contrast to all this column stands for, a reality no amount of perspective, wisdom, or encouragement can erase is that some days simply feel impossible.

    What does one do? From what source do we muster the courage to show up in spite of how we feel?

    I’m not going to even pretend there is an easy answer. But I will dare to suggest a two-pronged approach.

    1. Give yourself permission to feel crappy.
    Instead of talking yourself out of these feelings… Instead of pushing your way through these feelings… Instead of judging these feelings as immature, pathetic, weak, or any other put-down you tend to use…

    Instead of fighting the dread, acknowledge it. Affirm it. Congratulate yourself for recognizing it. Pat yourself on the back for being honest with yourself.

    2. Pick one thing you will address today.
    Give yourself the gift of focus. Take one thing at a time. If everything is overwhelming you, then select something.

    Yes, maybe in an ideal world you would be able to sort and prioritize, multi-task and juggle. But today is not ideal. You are dreading today. So you need an (more…)

  • Loving Monday: Bring It

    loving_mondayFew things are more frustrating than the obvious oversights of those with whom we work. Even more frustrating is when those oversights, blind spots, or shortcomings are with those who have more power than us on the organizational chart.

    They create unworkable situations and then blame us for them not working out.

    We kick the wall, curse the gods, and accuse the incompetents around us of making our jobs impossible. Yes, we blame them right back.

    What if, though, you had eyes to see something that they were blind to? What if you had an ability or capacity that they did not have?

    What if they needed you to bring your eyes and ability to that problematic situation, and all you did was stand back and blame them for not being able to (more…)

  • Loving Monday: Super Bowl XLV Hangover

    loving_mondayIt was a great game. An even better game if you were a Green Bay fan.

    The markets were jammed all morning. The roads were cluttered immediately after.

    And those of us watching the were enjoying family, friends and food with an abandon we seldom get to experience on most weekends.

    It was a great game.

    Now it’s Monday and we’re back at work… Sort of.

    Not really.

    No, not at all.

    We’re either still celebrating or still depressed.

    We could suggest something inane to the winners like, “Don’t gloat.” Or we could recommend something preposterous to the losers like, “Be good sports.”

    The fact of the matter is those of us who were rooting for Green Bay are going to be strutting and celebrating and rubbing it in every way imaginable.

    And those who were short-sighted enough to root for Pittsburgh are going to be glum, whining, making excuses, and otherwise going out of their way to be very unpleasant today.

    So how to get back to work? (more…)

  • Loving Monday: Today You Must Growl

    loving_mondayEver get tired of being told to have a good attitude?

    You know it’s a good idea. But not today. You know attitude is important. But if one more person points that out to you, you’ll scream. Today you need to be in a bad mood. Today you can barely muster the energy to pick up a pencil. Today you must growl.

    The idea behind Loving Monday is not to superficially encourage us to put on a false front and pretend to be happier, more engaged, or more dedicated than we really are.

    On the other hand, when we are authentically tired, bored, or discouraged, the solution in not necessarily to act out those feelings all over everyone else.

    Are there any other options available than stuffing our emotions or giving in to them? Is there another way forward besides either wearing a mask at your own expense or spewing venom everywhere at everyone else’s expense?

    My thought is why not have some fun with it?

    Put a sign on your door that warns, “Grumpy soldier inside, enter at your own risk.” Or, “Tie a rope around your waist before descending into this pit of exhaustion, or you may get sucked down yourself.”

    Put a peace offering of treats near your desk as a humorous way to pre-pay for their forgiveness.

    By acknowledging that you’re in a bad space, you are letting people know ahead of time what they are about to experience! How different than being ambushed by someone’s bad mood! This frees them to be cautious and more sensitive to you.

    You also create a safe atmosphere for them to give the gift of encouragement, compassion, and/or support to you on a difficult day.

    In the long term, you’ll have a better chance of returning to a more engaged, enthusiastic attitude sooner if you are honest about how far away from that attitude you are right now.

    How do you deal with a bad start to the week when you’re tired, overwhelmed or down?

    On your side,

    – Karl Edwards

    Loving Monday is a weekly column designed to encourage us to step into our weeks with an intention to show up authentically, engage fully, and choose to make it a good week for ourselves. Explore past columns here.

  • Loving Monday: Attitude Infection

    loving_mondayHave you ever come to work to find someone in such a good mood that you can’t help but feel better yourself?

    Their attitude is infectious. Their mood, their outlook, their demeanor, their disposition, their frame of reference, whatever it is… you find yourself being drawn in and carried along.

    It’s fun. It’s refreshing. It’s a breath of fresh air in a stuffy and claustrophobic work world. It’s an unexpected gift.

    What if you were that person today?

    What if you made a decision—right here, right now—to bring the gift of a fun-loving, hard-working attitude to work today? That you would be extra positive, extra appreciative, extra helpful, extra conscientious… you take it from there with what you might do.

    The idea is simply to choose to be the source of the upbeat attitude infection.

    Nothing off the charts, simply an extra measure of good attitude. Not every day, just today. Not as some sort of grandiose mission, but more like giving a special, unexpected gift.

    Instead of donuts, flowers or coffee, your gift would be your attitude.

    Think about it. Think about trying it. Right here, right now.

    On your side,

    – Karl Edwards

    Loving Monday is a weekly column designed to encourage us to step into our weeks with an intention to show up authentically, engage fully, and choose to make it a good week for ourselves. Explore past columns here.