Author: Carl Setzer

I just received an email with the following request: “if you service the following states, NY, NJ, PA, OH, MD, VT, MI, ME, CT and NH…”. I immediately closed and deleted the email, for I’m in Washington. But then I started thinking, “why did the sender blast this out to the entire country?” Today, right now, with pretty much every CRM tool, you can refine your targets. With a few minutes of work, the sender of this email could’ve culled a few words from their message as well as targeted her message. Too many irrelevant emails and you find yourself in the spam box.

This ability to customize your message makes it significantly more relevant to your customers, to your audience. It makes you look more professional, and more knowledgeable. Powerful traits if you’re trying to build an audience, or come across as an influencer. Or, if you simply don’t want to waste your customer’s time. Which is good thing to desire.

So, the data is (or should be) there. Use it! Make yourself look smart, talented, professional and engaged. Unless you’re hoping to create more spam fodder.

A friend of mine pointed me to this article recently, which is found powerful as an explanation of living with chronic conditions: The Spoon Theory. It’s a great allegory for the life-management that those living with chronic conditions (lupus, chronic fatigue, etc) constantly deal with. Each of life’s decisions represent a significant opportunity cost.

This article comes from But You Don’t Look Sick, a website dedicated to those with hidden disease. Our culture stigmatizes those who don’t meet our expectations for being “ill”. My theory: it’s tied to a disdain for folks “trying to get something for nothing”, and our lingering distrust of others. It’s easy to believe that they’re “making it up”, whether they “thrive on drama” or are “playing for sympathy”, or whatever other pejorative label we rattle off. It’s an easy, and painful reaction. One that needs consideration and control.

Personally, I’d rather be played a fool (as the adage goes) than not be supportive to a friend in need. Yet I, too, struggle with these reactions. And so I proceed, more aware, towards some semblance of wisdom.

Rolled semi spills load of bees at I-5 and I-405 interchange

Well, this made for some real fun for me this morning. Fortunately, I have tools to notify me when traffic’s getting ugly and was able to leave early to compensate. Thus I was expecting “issues”. So, as I crossed I5 via the 196th street overpass on my way to the northbound onramp, my lord, the backup was immense!

Bee that as it may (sorry for the pun, I just had to…), looking at the pictures, I feel sad for the bees. With bee populations are declining, seeing the massive bee kill was deeply disheartening. However, there clearly are dedicated professionals on site making sure the impact upon our buzzing friends is minimal. For that, I’m thankful.

Impatience destroys quality;
Feeds the tyrrany of the “NOW”,
Raging inferno of immediate perfection.
Devaluing mastery’s glorious gifts.

Quality bears manifold delights
Ones lost upon our gone-in-a-blink minds.
We’ve lost something powerful,
Traded for empty consumer shells.

The sculptor’s calloused hands
Have no short-cut. Each nick,
Wear, rub of creation, crafting
Builds knowledge, deepest skills.

Mastery: quality can’t be bought
It must be earned with each step,
Journeying: critical. Motions,
Thousands, in summation: gestalt.

Nothing great ever happened by rigidly adhering to the status quo.

Earlier this week, I heard the classic Springsteen tune, “Glory Days”. This song always makes me think. It just seems so very sad. People stuck in the past, viewing their youthful achievements as the hallmarks of their lives. I can’t imagine a more miserable existence.

This song has always driven me to keep growing, developing, to always make this year my best year ever. And look to an even better future. Never, ever, do I want to be sitting lamenting the “old days”, when life was good. I choose to look forward, to keep doing new and challenging things. To grow! Choices are powerful. Come join me.

I’ve been reviewing leadership and innovation. I see fear and creativity are inversely proportional. Creativity is critical for innovation.

This reminded me of a Steven Covey story (from “7 Habits…”). A group of execs, are asked how to best motivate their staff. One quipped “hand grenades”. I’m sure it’s meant to be clever. However, that really captured a mind-set I’ve seen in stifling, bureaucratic environments. Fear, autocracy and micromanagement are the dominate tools. That’s the realm of uber-short term thinking, and the antithesis of innovation culture. You can get mindless efficiency: no more. You’ll get no creativity, no innovation, thus no agility. One can’t bully your way into a culture of innovation and leadership.