Karl Edwards presents Working Matters

Author: Karl Edwards

  • Quote to Consider: The Risk of Dying

    quote-to-consider“An individual dies… when, instead of taking risks and hurling himself toward being, he cowers within, and takes refuge there.”

    E. M. Cioran

  • Karl Shares Six Words… #62


    “Project still on track,” he lied.

     

    Karl Edwards

  • Listen In -> Posture of Strategic Readiness with Van Wray #1: The Adjusting Process

    From the way many leaders approach strategic planning, you’d think they owned crystal balls.

    They seem to have confidence that the future is going to be exactly as they expect and make huge decisions and long-term commitments accordingly.

    Not so! argues our special guest, Van Wray of Amperant Advisors who joins us for a new podcast discussion series entitled “Posture of Strategic Readiness.”

    Wray asserts that strategic planning needs a serious rethink, and, over the next five weeks, will be resourcing us with the tools to do just that.

    The metaphor of physical posture is striking and powerful.

    I think of the tennis player poised on the balls of their feet ready both to execute their own strategy as well as react to whatever comes at them.

    If what comes at them is not what they expected, then they are ready to adjust… immediately (because they are prepared), instinctively (because they are trained), and, yes, strategically (because they never relinquish leadership of the game).

    In this week’s discussion Van and I confront the reality that the future is not nearly as clear cut as we’d like to think. The many unknowns that lie ahead, though, need not worry or stop us from making aggressive plans.

    We simply need to make a different sort of plans. Plans that have enough room in them to welcome the future. Plans that have enough flexibility in them to adjust along the way.

    You are going to want to meet Van Wray. He is an insightful, practical, and encouraging leader, coach, and ally.

    Join us over the next five weeks for what will be a transforming discussion.

    Posture of Strategic Readiness
    Week #1: The Adjusting Process
    Week #2: The Stop and No Lists
    Week #3: The Sumo Wrestling Goals
    Week #4: The Built-In Slack
    Week #5: The Anticipated Decisions 

    Listen in.

  • Quote to Consider: Feeling Happy or Being Happy?

    quote-to-consider“Happiness is not in our circumstances, but in ourselves. It is not something we see, like a rainbow, or feel, like the heat of a fire. Happiness is something we are.”

    John B. Sheerin

  • Listen In -> Bold Resolutions for the New Year #5: Rethink Failure

    Failure needs a serious rethink.

    Of all that is truly upside-down and turned inside-out in this world, that we discourage and punish failure is a travesty of egregious proportions.

    As long as failure is a bad thing involving shame, punishment, and other negative responses, we will become increasingly cautious, politically correct, and refuse to make bold decisions.

    Failure needs to be reframed as learning. If we learned something from every mistake, we would be making needed adjustments sooner and more often. 

    If failure were not where a particular line of action ended, but merely where it changed course, we would be achieving far more of what we planned and doing so far sooner.

    Not only that, but the learning and adjustments involved would be taking us down roads toward discoveries and accomplishments that we previously had never dreamed of.

    The journey that welcomes failure and transforms it into learning may be an uncomfortable one, but it is one we avoid only to our own detriment.

    Listen in.

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

  • Quote to Consider: The Lies Good Friends Tell

    quote-to-consider“Don’t believe your friends when they ask you to be honest with them. All they really want is to be maintained in the good opinion they have of themselves.”

    Albert Camus

  • Karl Shares Six Words… #61


    Suffocating policy manual found in trash.

     

    Karl Edwards

  • Listen In -> Bold Resolutions for the New Year #4: Create Your Own Opportunities

    Have we become overly risk-averse?

    One has to wonder.

    That was a devastating and frightening near-miss with total disaster that our economy experienced a few years ago. And we don’t seem to have recovered yet.

    We are sitting on our wallets, postponing investments, and not hiring.

    We need to find ways, though, to take the initiative and create opportunities where none may yet exist.

    Easier said than done.

    Hence Claudia and my discussion this week suggesting that we need to make the creating of our own opportunities a New Year’s resolution.

    We cannot afford to wait around for someone else to jump start the economy.

    Can you?

    Listen in.

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

  • Don’t Miss Out! Bridging the Work-Faith Divide Workshop Registration Deadline

    Forget about notching up workplace conversions or beating yourself up for stealing pencils.

    We are going to discuss work and faith from the perspective of the workplace. Job performance, career development, and team dynamics to mention just a few vital topics.

    Don’t miss out!

    Tomorrow, Tuesday (1/31/12), is the deadline for registering for Saturday’s Bridging the Work-Faith Divide Workshop. (Not that we’ll be turning anyone away at the door, but it would sure help for planning!)

    We would love to have you there. It promises to be an engaging and interactive day.

    Click here for the details.

  • Quote to Consider: The Medicine Called Hope

    quote-to-consider“There is no medicine like hope, no incentive so great, and no tonic so powerful as expectation of something tomorrow.”

    Orison Swett Marden