Karl Edwards presents Working Matters

Author: Karl Edwards

  • Loving Monday: Today is Your Life

    loving_mondayToday is your life. Sometimes with all our plans for the future and our baggage from the past, we forget that today is our life too.

    As we return to work today, our lives intersect with that work. Our lives include that work, become a part of that work and/or that work becomes a part of our lives.

    The question becomes, can we discern when we have suspended our lives in order to go to work? Do we consider everything we do part of our lives except our work?

    When we get off of work we can go back to living.

    The problem here is that we spend too much time at work to survive holding such a frame of reference for very long. Putting our lives on hold eight to ten plus hours a day in order to make someone else rich gets old real quickly. More than merely getting old, such a practice eats away at our dignity, confidence and ability to value ourselves appropriately.

    The key is finding ways to make a meaningful contribution at work. Even in the most distasteful, boring, or demeaning work you can choose to make some aspect of your efforts a meaningful contribution.

    The contribution can be an increase in quality, attention to details, going the extra mile for a customer, consistent follow-through, clear communication, heading off problems before they arise, or an extra level of coordination on a project.

    The point being that you are choosing to make your work a meaningful part of your life, and you are doing something to make it happen.

    Today is your life. Now go out and live it! Even at work… Especially at work!

    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.

  • Karl Shares Six Words… 3


    Grateful heart stirs leftovers absent-mindedly.


    Karl Edwards

  • Thought Leaders Unpacked -> Clutch #1: Focus (Part 1)

    thought-leadersAs I speculated in my post of October 28th, I have now indeed selected Clutch: Why Some People Excel Under Pressure and Others Don’t by Paul Sullivan to read for our next Thought Leaders Unpacked™ series.

    I have selected it for my own sake more than anything else. While I believe it holds great value for all of us who consider ourselves lifelong learners, I am looking forward to taking the spotlight of Sullivan’s insights and shining it on myself.

    I’m not so concerned that I might not show up well against the characteristics of “clutch” performers as I am with my ability to be honest about where I need to learn and improve.

    Chapter #1: Focus

    As we dive into the first chapter on Focus, I am initially struck by Sullivan’s method of using a single story to explain what all his research on focus reveals. I suppose I expected multiple stories making the multiple points. Once I settled in with his style, I became absorbed with his content.

    My first take-away came from distinguishing between focus and concentration. I would describe concentration as paying attention to one thing at the exclusion of everything else. She was concentrating so hard on her spreadsheet that she didn’t hear her phone ringing.

    Focus, on the other hand, I would describe as paying attention to one thing and seeing everything else in its light. She would not approve the corporate retreat (more…)

  • Listen In -> Lies and Myths We Believe About Work #3: You Have to Prove Yourself First

    This week’s lie would have us believe that we should prove our ability even though no opportunity has been afforded us to do so.

    How’s that for being caught between a rock and a hard place?!

    They’ll consider us for a supervisor role once we’ve proved that we can supervise. We can manage the budget once we can show a budget we’ve successfully managed.

    Join Claudia and I as we look into yet another career-wasting trap: “You have to prove yourself first.”

    Earning someone’s trust or building someone else’s confidence in your capabilities can be a no-win predicament. While you can work hard, learn quickly, and offer excellence, you can never control what makes another person willing to trust.

    Some people simply do not trust easily. Some people never trust anyone other than themselves. If you have one of these people as your boss, you could be spinning your wheels trying to prove yourself.

    They benefit from the extra efforts you invest, while you continue to wonder how high you need to jump.

    Stop wondering and join the conversation here on Working Matters.

    Listen in.

    Just now joining the conversation? Catch up on the entire series here.

  • Loving Monday: Holiday Distraction Coming

    loving_mondayAs much as we love our jobs we seldom begrudge a long holiday weekend.

    A shortened work week opens up a couple of possible scenarios for the week ahead.

    One is that we are absent in mind and spirit even while our bodies are present. We’re not off until Thursday, but the anticipation and the preparations fill our minds until we have to admit we have very little space left for the work-related tasks.

    The other scenario is that we are trying to squeeze a full week’s worth of effort into three days. The output requirements haven’t changed but the time frame within which to work has.

    In one case we are finding ourselves quite unproductive. In the other case, we are attempting to be hyper-productive. In both cases, we are distracted by the coming holiday weekend.

    Instead of continuing on as if this were a normal three days like any other, we become distracted by the schedule change. Both are forms of distraction. Neither are lethal, but you aren’t functioning at your best either.

    In one case the distraction removes all pressure. You’ve simply begun your holiday weekend already here on Monday. In the other case the distraction imposes enormous pressure. You somehow need to do everything in practically half the time. In both cases you are underperforming as a result.

    What would probably serve you better is a happy medium of looking forward to the coming long weekend with the awareness that certain adjustments will be required given the loss of two days.

    You can’t think clearly or get much done when you’re either daydreaming about turkey and stuffing or stressed out by the volume of work ahead. Ironically, if you can calm down and focus on what adjustments need to be made this week, you’ll be able to identify your priorities and make the decisions necessary to make good use of the three days available without spoiling the welcome break of the holiday ahead.

    Hoping this Thanksgiving is a good distraction for you in every way possible.

    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.

  • Quote to Consider: Permission to Fail… Granted

    quote-to-consider“The sheer rebelliousness in giving ourselves permission to fail frees a childlike awareness and clarity. … When we give ourselves permission to fail, we at the same time give ourselves permission to excel.”

    Eloise Ristad

  • Acting Up Brings Everyone Down by Nick McCormick

    Many years ago I managed a firm where I began calling my colleagues, “my kids.” This moniker was descriptive of both my affection for them and their childish behavior toward work and each other.

    Now Nick McCormick has captured a wonderful collection of the childish things people do at work. Or… I should say… the clever and common things people do at work, which are, in fact, quite childish.

    It’s called, Acting Up Brings Everyone Down: The Impacts of Childish Behavior in the Workplace.

    From the introduction”

    “The purpose of this book is to point out the silliness that we engage in at work in hopes that readers will acknowledge their actions, realize there are better and more constructive ways to act, and make the necessary changes to improve the work environment.”

    It takes a great sense of humor to get us insecure leader-types to let down our guards and see our imperfections without feeling attacked.

    McCormick, though, instead of attacking us for our petty and counter-productive behaviors, laughs at them with us.

    He takes on maddening workplace dynamics like making excuses, blaming (more…)

  • Listen In -> Lies and Myths We Believe About Work #2: You Don’t Have What It Takes

    Are you giving away your best professional years trying to meet a standard that doesn’t exist?

    One of the both cruelest and emptiest barbs insecure people in power like to ambush people they do not understand with is, “You don’t have what it takes.”

    In this week’s podcast discussion, Claudia look at this unhelpful, diminishing, spirit-crushing accusation.

    What’s most interesting about this vague accusation is that it has no criteria by which we can demonstrate otherwise. There is no way to measure up. There is no “what it takes” being discussed.

    Whatever it is, though, you don’t seem to have it. This would be laughable if it were so hurtful.

    Do you find yourself giving vague accusations such as this one more power over you than they deserve?

    Listen in.

    Just now joining the conversation? Catch up on the entire series here.

  • Karl Shares Six Words… 2


    Glancing back hesitantly for direction forward.


    Karl Edwards

  • Question of the Week #22

    How might you transform your performance reviews from dreaded evaluations into welcomed learning opportunities?

    The Question of the Week is offered to increase awareness of one’s personal leadership practices and encourage experimentation with creative alternatives.