ARE:A Renewal Enterprise

Is It Time To Get Refocused?

While the ARE team is on a summer break, we're publishing some of our most popular posts from the past year or so. This one was originally published as "Four Signs That You've Lost Focus" in December 2009.

One of the things people tend to do when circumstances feel out of control is to focus on stuff that doesn’t matter. The US is in the worst recession in modern times, engaged in two wars (one of which appears to be escalating at a rapid pace), debating a major change in the way health care happens, trying to figure out what to do about climate change, blah, blah, blah, blah. And the biggest story for a lot of people is whether or not Tiger’s wife was chasing him with a golf club because she was tired of him chasing other women?? Yes. Faced with really complex issues, it’s a lot easier to let yourself get all worked up about issues that aren’t. But this is a dangerous distraction, kind of like fiddling with the radio while careening down the highway in the middle of a blizzard. And when leaders do it, the result can be fatal for an organization.

Doing What Matters Trumps Being Nice

While the ARE team is on summer break, we are publishing some of our most popular posts from the past year. This one originally appeared under the title "Don't Let The Crazies Take Over the Playground" in January 2010. 

Don't underestimate the importance of cultivating healthy relationships in your organization. Leadership blogger Jon Gordon reminds us today that research has found successful marriages have a 5-1 ratio of positive interactions. Similarly, workgroups with a 3-1 ratio of positive interactions are more effective. 

It's not all just about being happy-bunny at work, though. Pretending that all is wonderful when it's not is no better than scowling your way through everyday, ignoring all the good stuff. Gordon reports that workgroups with an 11-1 ratio of positive interactions are less effective. 

The point is: Leaders cultivate healthy relationships. i.e., positive and honest. 

Learn To Love Being Out Of Control

120 leaders. 6 presentations. 2 days. 1 unintended (and only slightly terrifying) object lesson in the necessity of learning to live and work in renewable ways. 

It all happened earlier this week, when Dave Daubert and I were in Madison, WI co-keynoting at a leadership conference. Somewhere between presentation 4 and 5 the hard drive on Dave's computer crashed. And, all of a sudden, we were exhibit A.