by Caroline Leach | Apr 10, 2016 | Change, Learning, Work/Life
Driving across the Golden Gate Bridge this week got me thinking about how small steps add up to big things over time.
Was it really true that the bridge has to be painted 365 days a year? Turns out the answer is no. It’s an urban legend.
Of course, touch ups are required. Just as they are in our own lives.
And spending a few minutes each day on important goals can make it easier to achieve them. That’s what I’m attempting with my Spanish studies. If I can’t consistently devote a half hour every day, how about 10 minutes?
Technology makes this even easier than when I made my first attempt to learn Spanish a few years ago. Now I have a Rosetta Stone app on my phone and my tablet. It’s available anytime and anywhere. The only start-up time required is plugging in my earbuds and tapping on the app. Easy and effortless.
My daughter was amused last night at the airport when I squeezed in my 10 minutes of Spanish. But if I keep this up for a year, it will equal 60 hours of study. That’s better than zero. And perhaps as the days and months go by I’ll find that I can double and triple the time.
After all, it’s easier to ramp up the momentum on something already underway.
The photo above was taken in spring 2014 when my sister, Katie, and I walked across the Golden Gate Bridge and back from Marin County. Small steps added up to a beautiful and invigorating 3-mile walk that morning.
by Caroline Leach | Apr 9, 2016 | Work/Life
Happiness guru Shawn Achor advocates doing one conscious act of kindness each day.
Last week I was lucky enough to hear him speak, after enjoying his TED talk and book about the happiness advantage.
He gave the specific example of writing a note of appreciation to a loved one. In addition to that, when I’m traveling, I like to brighten the day of someone I don’t know by leaving a note and a tip for the housekeeping staff at the hotel where I’m staying.
Because housekeeping is such hard work and the housekeeping staff is often forgotten, it brightens my day to think about the person who’s cleaning rooms coming across their note and their tip.
And while I do it for fun with no expectation of anything in return, it’s brought a smile to my face to see some return notes.
The one above was in our room yesterday when my daughter and I returned from our day of sightseeing in San Francisco. And I’ve returned to my room to some extra creative organizing of my toiletries and luggage at other hotels.
As Tony Schwartz wrote in The New York Times, “What’s most gratifying is the give for no other reason than because it feels good to give.” I couldn’t agree more.
Like Tony, I feel extremely fortunate to be able to do the kind of work that I do. And it makes me happy to brighten the day of someone who’s bringing a clean and comfortable experience to me while I’m on the road.
by Caroline Leach | Apr 8, 2016 | Change, Learning, Work/Life
Once habits become part of a daily routine, they become a catalyst for other changes and function as the calm in the midst of a storm.
Habits can be a grounding a comforting force that enable you to navigate the really big changes in life. Maybe it’s a new career, evolving family relationships or a change in your health.
This became clear to me during this week’s road trip visiting colleges with my daughter. Although we’re in a place where in theory I should be right at home, I feel a bit out of my element.
Last night we took a dusk-to-dark drive along a beautiful yet desolate stretch of California’s Highway 1. We thought it would be fun to experience it. Even after a Google search surfaced something about a “devil’s slide,” we decided to go for it.
Yet the experience felt felt cold and foreboding at that time of day. The Pacific Ocean was more grey and angry looking than I’m used to seeing.
Maybe it was the absence of many other people and the familiarity of city life and civilization that felt different. If something happened to our car or if nature really asserted herself, could we handle it?
Surely we could. We know we can handle anything that comes our way. We can figure it out.
And seemingly a few minutes later we were steps from Union Square, checking into a boutique hotel. Being there re-energized us.
Yet as lovely (and trendy) as it was, I didn’t feel comfortable. I didn’t feel at home. That pushed me to remember that there are things to be discovered, learned and observed everywhere you go. You don’t have to be in your comfort zone to do it.
Part of that realization came from finding solace in the familiarity of my daily dozen. Writing my morning pages, getting some exercise and doing 10 minutes of Spanish calmed me down.
These are things I do each day, regardless of where I am or what else is happening. Doing them made me forget my unfamiliar surroundings. And even better, it moved me closer to my goals.
When it feels like everything around you is changing, it’s easier to be flexible and agile by staying grounded in a set of daily habits. Not to mention feeling healthier, more rested and better able to not only navigate change but to reap the benefits of it.
by Caroline Leach | Apr 7, 2016 | Learning, Work/Life
Even when life doesn’t work out exactly as you planned, there is tremendous joy to be found.
My daughter and I discovered it today on a road trip through Northern California. She says it’s not a road trip because we flew from Los Angeles to San Francisco. Having driven more than 150 miles today, though, it’s a road trip in my book.
We’re visiting the two colleges she’ll choose between this month. There have certainly been twists and turns of unexpected developments. And surely there will be several more before the May 1 deadline to decide.
In the meantime, today was near perfect. There were several hours of talking, laughing and exploring with my daughter. There was a college visit, complete with surprises of its own. There was an alternate route to our home away from home, exploring some surprisingly desolate areas of the California coast.
And it’s a full circle and a homecoming of sorts for me, since my life began in the San Francisco Bay area. My mom’s side of the family came here well over 100 years ago.
Back to the present, it’s day 7 of my April adventure. Even in that short time I can feel the perfectionist tendencies giving way to the stronger desire to achieve this month’s goals. There’s more of a willingness to lean into the messiness of life, if it means I can hit my goal to do my daily dozen.
It happened last night with a civic committee I serve on in my town. A few minutes before the meeting began, I was asked if I’d mind chairing it.
Of course I could do that. Why? Because these last few days I’ve found I can get highly creative and do anything necessary to accomplish my most important goals.
By the end of the month, my hypothesis is two-fold. First, that I’ll have established a half-dozen new habits. Second, that a “most days” approach will work better than an “every day” approach for my daily dozen. Some days I have work commitments that run well into the evening, or a community meeting at night or a family member who wants to spend more time together.
Underlying all of this, though, is an undeniable truth. The power of small steps is starting to create bigger changes.
by Caroline Leach | Apr 6, 2016 | Change, Learning
Will you sprint, stroll or stumble into a career?
That’s the question a New York Times article posed this week. It coincided with my 17-year service anniversary at my employer. So it got me thinking about my own career entry. I revisited my 20s, with its 5 employers and 2 career paths.
Near the end of that decade I landed my first job in my dream field of corporate communications. A few years later, a serendipitous connection through a professional association brought me to my current employer.
It was a thrill to make the leap from the aerospace industry into entertainment and technology at DIRECTV. It had been in business for 5 years, with just over 1,000 employees in 2 locations serving 5 million customers. With a career change already under my belt, I was sure this transition would be just as seamless.
That’s where I was wrong. At the end of my first week on the job, I was convinced I’d made a big mistake. The company had all the upside and downside of being in a startup stage.
But I couldn’t quit after only a week. So I decided I could do it for a year. Then I could reassess the situation and move on.
But something about the company grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. I hired my first team member. And then another. I took on another function. And then another. It was and is a world of endless possibilities.
Reflecting on that time, there are a few obvious benefits. They start with building deep knowledge of the business and how it all works together to deliver on the company’s vision. Extensive networks get built over time, making it easier to know who to contact for what and how to get things done.
Well beyond that, unique experiences have brought growth and opportunity.
Working with an amazing boss today and 6 great former bosses has broadened my perspective, leadership capabilities and professional network.
Experiencing 5 different owners demonstrated the value of flexibility and agility. The best came last with AT&T’s acquisition of DIRECTV in 2015.
Working with 6 successive CEOs on corporate and executive communications during dramatic change in the company and the industry was a tremendous learning opportunity.
Starting as an individual contributor and building a team in Corporate Communications was a life-changing experience. I’m proud of the work we did together to achieve record levels of employee engagement and be recognized in The Civic 50 as one of the most community-minded companies in America.
As the company grew from a startup to the Fortune 100 and well beyond, it’s continued to be a world of possibility. My recent career pivot from corporate communications into marketing is a testament to that.
Yet navigating a career ultimately isn’t about the decision to stay put or move. It’s about ensuring there’s learning and growth wherever you are.
by Caroline Leach | Apr 5, 2016 | Learning, Marketing & Analytics
When I started my learning project, the plan was to alternate posts between learning how to learn and learning more about data science.
A data review would show I’ve focused too much on the former and not enough on the latter. The data-driven conclusion? It’s time to shift the balance.
As I’ve worked in a new role the last 6 months focusing on marketing analytics, I’ve drawn heavily on my academic background. There’s economics with its emphasis on statistics and communications management with its reliance on research.
My professional experience is key, too. Leading an employee engagement survey strategy for several years and conducting corporate communications surveys has helped tremendously.
It’s fascinating how many parallels exist between seemingly disparate areas. And problem solving and team leadership are often similar from function to function.
One of the skills I’ve needed to sharpen is thinking critically about data measurements. I’m learning to ask better questions. And I’m learning to anticipate questions from colleagues on how data was collected and analyzed.
Harvard Business Review is a valuable resource in generating good questions – from branding to market insights and from big data to the customer experience.
A March 2016 article by Thomas C. Redman – 4 Steps to Thinking Critically About Data Measurements – gives great tips on asking good questions about data. Here’s a short summary:
- How does the actual measurement line up with what you want to know? Ask yourself if the measures are good surrogates for what you really want to know. Redman advises to “distinguish ‘pretty close’ from ‘a good-enough indicator’ to ‘not what I had in mind.'” If you’re settling for something less than perfect, you should be aware of it.
- What do you want to know? Clarify what you want to know. This is similar to asking, “what problem are we trying to solve?” It’s also important to make sure all stakeholders are aligned on the exact nature and outcomes of the measurement process.
- What are weaknesses in the measurement process? Here Redman advises a thorough understanding of the entire data collection process. He suggests listening to customer calls if you’re measuring customer complaints or going to a factory if you’re measuring factory productivity. This helps to “develop a feel for the weak links.”
- Have you subjected results to the “smell test”? If results don’t seem right to you, based on other knowledge you have, dig into them. If results come in much better or worse than expected, consider the possibility of bad measurement and investigate further.
Thank you, Thomas Redman, for a few simple litmus tests to think more critically about data.
by Caroline Leach | Apr 4, 2016 | Change, Learning
Can anything we do be a metaphor for change? What can we learn about change by trying something new? And what is taking up a new sport teaching me about change?
Here are a few parallels between stand-up paddle boarding and navigating change – whether it’s a corporate change initiative, of which I’ve led many, or a change in your family life.
Lean into it. The further forward you lean and put your paddle into the water, the faster you can go. Don’t hold back. Jump into it. Thank you, Sheryl Sandberg, for the universal truth about leaning in.
Stay grounded, yet flexible. When you attempt to hang on for dear life, ironically you make yourself more vulnerable. I had to consciously tell myself to relax and roll with it when a boat left a big wake or when we hit the open ocean for the first time.
Get more involved for more control. This is about putting your paddle deeper into the water It’s a stabilizing move. Who would have thought that steadiness could be found in the water. It’s the counterintuitive things in life that often work.
Try new things and see what happens. What happens if I lean slightly to one side or the other? Paddle backward? Try to turn faster? The only way I’ll know is by trying.
Keep pushing yourself by taking small steps on a consistent basis. Last time out my husband, Kevin, and I reached the end of the rocks in the marina and peered beyond, to see how we could navigate the open ocean. Take small steps – or paddles, in this case – to see what can be learned and then course correct.
This time, the water was relatively flat, so we ventured beyond the rocks. It wasn’t easy figuring out how to navigate, but we tried it.
Even on a “calm” day with 3- to 4-foot surf, it was a lot harder than gliding across the calm waters in the marina. And next time, we’ll go further. Maybe early in the morning, when it’s really calm (e.g., flat).
Enjoy the change of scenery. It’s great to be outdoors. Even in the fog, which is invigorating. Not to mention the terrific feeling of being physically tired at the end of the day. It felt like we’d worked hard and earned a good night of rest.
Notice what’s around you. Boats heading into the Santa Monica Bay. Seals relaxing on a barge. A duck paddling by. That reminded me of the serenity that shows on the surface, with legs likely paddling frenetically below. Just like what we humans do every day. Especially during times of change.
Enjoy the company of others. This is fun family time with my spouse. We’re learning something new together. We laugh about our silly moves as we’re getting up to speed. We’re a team. And we look forward to it every weekend.
Stay calm when crisis looms. As we were coming in for the day, I found myself heading straight for a docked boat. What was the worst thing that could have happened? Running into the boat and falling into the water.
I tried turning. Didn’t happen fast enough. Three more feet and I’d hit it. Finally I remembered about sticking the paddle straight in the water and paddling backwards. I didn’t go quite in the direction I intended, but I did manage to reverse course and avoid hitting the boat.
Don’t be afraid to fail. In paddle boarding, that means falling into the water. Assuming you know how to swim, what’s the worst thing that could happen? You get a little wet or a little cold. Easily survivable. And the learning? Priceless.
Use snippets of time to your advantage. I drafted this post as Kevin was driving us home from the marina. Going mobile is a time hack that will make it possible to blog daily for a month.
Mahalo.
by Caroline Leach | Apr 3, 2016 | Change, Learning, Social Media, Work/Life
In my April adventure to do my daily dozen every day this month, a thought occurred to me. Is there enough time in each day? And if not, how can more time be created?
Here’s the math, by the minute:
- Morning pages: 20
- Power pose: 2
- Weights: 10
- Vitamins: 1
- Reasonable to-do list: 15
- 5 fruits and veggies: included in meals
- Active minutes: 30
- Family member time: variable
- Blog post: 60-90
- Spanish app: 10
- Reading: 30
- 3 things I’m grateful for: 10
- Sleep: 420
Setting aside sleep and focusing on waking hours, that’s 218 minutes, or 3.63 hours. For simplicity, let’s say 3.5 hours.
Like most people, my schedule doesn’t have many open hours in it. So how will this work? By doubling up on activities. Not so I’m multitasking, which is a myth anyway, but by combining activities that naturally go together.
Think of it as a “twofer” – something satisfying 2 needs simultaneously. Or in business jargon, as a “stacked win.”
Morning pages and problem solving. One of the natural outcomes of morning pages, according to their inventor Julia Cameron, is a way to solve problems. If I’m facing a challenging at work or home, writing about it longhand often leads to solutions. And morning pages can be a way to sketch out my next blog post.
Power posing and meditating. Despite the hype about meditating, it hasn’t grabbed me. Yet. While there’s a meditative quality to walking, doing yoga and paddle boarding, it hasn’t been an overt practice in my life. Until I started my 2-minute power poses, thanks to Amy Cuddy. During that time I can focus on my breathing and clear my mind.
Reading and news. Working in corporate communications and now in marketing, it’s imperative to stay on top of the news. My 15-minute news rituals can count toward my reading time. Of course, it’s more enjoyable to read for 30 minutes at the end of the day, but on busier days, reading is already in the plan.
This weekend I stocked up on books, thanks to my local library. Recent releases that caught my eye: Mind Hacking, Why We Work and Social Media for Writers.
And I always have my Kindle app, especially handy if I’m waiting for an appointment or to pick up a family member. Right now it’s Social Physics and revisiting The Happiness Advantage.
Treadmill time and reading. Cardio time walking on the treadmill is also great reading time. There’s catching up with longer-form news and articles via iPad and in print. And there are plenty of books on my iPad (see item above).
Exercising and socializing. My husband is my paddle boarding buddy. We not only enjoy the time together, but we also look forward to gliding across the water and being in nature (thanks to Laura Vanderkam for highlighting the benefits of anticipating weekend activities). And a friend has begun to meet me for a Sunday morning yoga class, brightening both of our days.
Blogging and learning. This blog is a learning journey. It began with a focus on the future of corporate communications. As my career pivoted into marketing, it’s became a way to learn how to learn, especially in the area of marketing analytics. So time spent on my blog is often time spent learning about the latest in my current field. This hack comes from Penelope Trunk and her course on blogging.
Recharging and moving. This includes things like walking meetings, or walking during lunch. It’s hard to beat getting out in nature for fresh air and sunshine. And I often find that walking during the day can help me solve problems I’ve been wrestling with. Other ways to recharge during a short lunch break – a few minutes with my Spanish app, listening to a podcast or meeting a colleague.
Commuting and learning. Driving to and from the office can take 50 to 90 minutes a day. That’s a big chunk of time. How can it better be used? Here are 3 – listening to TED talks, listening to Spanish radio stations and listening to podcasts, especially on data analytics.
And here I’m especially grateful to work for a company that connects us to our world, everywhere we live, work and play (note: opinions expressed in this blog are my own). That puts me a third of the way on today’s list of what I’m grateful for.
Technology and connectivity make our lives better in many ways. Recently I started using the Starbucks app as an easy way to pay. But I hadn’t tried the ordering feature. Until a colleague Sandy Smart-Ashburn raved about it. Short on time this morning, I ordered a latte through the app. It felt like a near-miracle to skip the line and pick up my beverage from the barista.
More to come as the adventure continues.
The photo above is from the University of Southern California where I spoke last year on a panel about social collaboration at my grad school alma mater.
by Caroline Leach | Apr 2, 2016 | Change, Learning, Social Media, Work/Life
A new day, month and season always feel like a fresh start. Brand new beginnings. Endless possibilities ahead.
As I reflected on the daily dozen habits I set last year, I’d done well on some and not on others.
So why not commit the month of April to doing my full daily dozen every day? How much can I accomplish? How will I feel? How much more will I enjoy life?
It will be an April Adventure. It’s the perfect time because spring is my favorite season. The days are longer. Time stretches out. Nature beckons. Summer is on the way.
April is also a transitional time. It’s my birthday at the end of the month, which always prompts reflection. My daughter will choose her college this month. And then it’s on to the whirl of AP exams, the prom and high school graduation for the coda of the season.
Listening to Adam Grant‘s TED talk about original thinkers this morning during a car trip for a college visit with my son gave me 4 things to think about.
- Improvers do better than first movers. Grant’s talk referenced a classic study of 50 product categories. It showed a 47% failure rate among first movers. Those who improved on the ideas of others had only an 8% failure rate.
- There’s a sweet spot for creativity halfway between pre-crastination (doing things too early to maximize creativity and efficiency) and procrastination (this one needs no explanation).
- Doubt the default. Or, question the status quo. According to Grant’s research, people who do this and ask if there’s a better way perform better in their jobs, and they stay in them 15% longer.
- What distinguishes classical composers is that they produced more work. They generated more music and more ideas. That meant there was more to choose from in identifying their best work.
That inspired my idea to post to this blog daily in April. It can be of any length. And by writing daily, I may come up with at least one post to share for feedback in Penelope Trunk‘s upcoming Quistic course about writing great blog posts.
To round it out, I’m making it a baker’s dozen with habit #13: using my Rosetta Stone app to learn Spanish for 10 minutes every day. Here I’m inspired by something I read recently about someone who learned a language by devoting just a few minutes every day.
So what am I doing differently to set up my environment for success?
First, I made a daily dozen list in my Any.Do app. While I’ve had it for a while, I haven’t used it much yet. This is my accountability app. And I’ll continue tracking my activity and sleep with my Fitbit.
Second, I’m thinking about how to use time in new ways. What’s the best way to make the most of commute time? Lunch time? Wait time?
Right now I’m writing this on my iPhone while my husband drives us home from our college visit. Turns out I don’t have to be at home settled in with my laptop to write every blog post.
It’s amazing what technology and connectivity can do for our lives and our ability to learn. It shouldn’t be too hard how to figure out how to insert hyperlinks and images on my phone.
Game on for an April Adventure!
by Caroline Leach | Apr 1, 2016 | Careers, Corporate Communications, Learning, Marketing & Analytics
Who doesn’t love binge watching a favorite show?
Whether it’s Game of Thrones or Billions, watching multiple episodes in a single sitting makes the experience more intense, rewarding and fun.
That’s a fun part of working for at the company that provides DIRECTV. Whether it’s the DIRECTV app or a programmer app with the subscription, it’s easy to stream great content on a mobile device.
It got me thinking about how binge watching might apply to online learning. Could it make learning more effective? More efficient? How about more fun?
And why was I pondering this question?
A Fortune 10 CEO was recently quoted in the New York Times on reskilling people for the future. “There is a need to retool yourself,” he said, “and you should not expect to stop. People who do not spend 5 to 10 hours a week in online learning will obsolete themselves with the technology.”
(Full disclosure: I work for this great company. Opinions in this blog are my own.)
While it’s true that small steps add up to big changes, it’s possible to accelerate learning by binge viewing great online courses.
As an example, for professional certifications that require ongoing education, binge viewing online courses is highly effective.
Why?
- It eliminates the inefficiencies of starting and stopping courses.
- It amplifies learning by increasing the ability to see patterns and make connections between seemingly disparate concepts and information.
- And a significant amount of learning can be completed in a relatively short time, fueling more motivation to seek out further coursework.
As I rectify my accreditations in public relations and human resources every 3 years, this strategy has made ongoing learning more efficient and more fun.
And it’s worked well for a series of marketing essentials courses I co-created with colleagues in my new career role. And for several weeks my action-item list has included “complete this series of online courses.” But somehow it didn’t happen. Until today. And here’s why.
Schedule time. The 5 online courses I need to complete are 90 minutes each, totaling 7.5 hours. Have you ever found a full day without meetings that you could commit to online learning?
Earlier this week I looked at my schedule and saw I had a few open late afternoon hours on a Friday. So I booked it for 2 online courses. Which then became 3, as I was pulled into the reward of completing course after course.
It was much easier to click into that next course as long as I was already online, in a comfortable place, and with a few hours of time I’d blocked out.
Make yourself comfortable. Maybe there’s a comfortable chair in your workspace. Or a standing desk. Or even a treadmill desk. What would make the environment even better? Your favorite coffee beverage? A healthy snack?
Focus on the course. Find a quiet place. Close your door if you have one. Turn off email and text notifications and other sounds on mobile devices.
Enjoy the experience of focusing intently on only one thing. Research shows that humans can’t multitask anyway, as much as we delude ourselves into thinking that we can.
Write notes on key points. Listen for 3 key takeaways. There’s magic in the number 3. It focuses your thought processes and forces you to prioritize what you heard and saw.
Taking notes on those key points helps to solidify the learning, especially if you hand write them. And you have something you can quickly refer to when you want to refresh your learning.
Take one immediate action. Of those 3 key points, what’s one thing you can put into action right away?
As part of my PR recertification, I listened to an IABC webinar on the art of social media by Guy Kawasaki. That’s how I discovered Canva. It makes anyone, including me, into a graphic designer. Many of the images in this blog are from Canva.
Given the need for all of us to prepare for our next career, why not binge watch your way to a new skill?
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