Lessons
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A series of work/life lessons from the walk, as posted on my LinkedIn page each week.
#17: Sometimes all that’s needed is just to listen. No action necessary.
My Airbnb host was a teacher. And a mother with 3# young children. Lovely children - chatty, smiling, polite. No partner around. Money tight – hence Airbnb. Heating barely on. Two children moved out of their room to accommodate me. Mother frazzled, stressed by looking after the children, fixing the wifi and tidying up in readiness for my stay. Still on the fridge, the children’s Xmas wish lists. Two were normal: asking for teddie bears, games etc. The other had just two items. Second was a BMX bike. But first there were 4 simple, heartfelt, heartbreaking words: “Mum to be happy”. That was all the child wanted for Christmas.
What can you do? I just listened. And bought the host some flowers (couldn’t stop myself).
Simply listening, without “doing” anything, can often make a big difference.
Lesson #1: Checklists work, but they take real discipline to use. |
Lesson #2: Acts of kindness are twice blessed. (Apologies to Shakespeare.) |
Lesson #3: Social changes are happening fast. |
Lesson #4: Walking begets thinking. But walking and thinking need to be accompanied by talking. |
Lesson #5: Targets focus attention, create incentives and work. But they also distort. So…don’t discard targets, but think hard… |
Lesson #6: Quiet time really works. Make time for it. |
Lesson #7: Persuasion takes investment in time, stories and relationships. |
Lesson #8: Don’t waste emotional energy on irritations which will seem minor in hindsight. |
Lesson #9: Connect, listen and embrace coincidences. (Fate?) |
Lesson #10: Acknowledge our predecessors. |
Lesson #11: Persuasion works better after listening. |
Lesson #12: Inspiration is everywhere, if we look. |
Lesson #13: All three matter: what we do, which organization we work in and who we work for/with. |
Lesson #14: Criticism is everywhere. Genuine, heartfelt appreciation is rarer – and highly motivational. Use it more. |
Lesson #15: Community matters. |
Lesson #16: Suggestion for New Year’s resolution list: Take a long walk in 2019. |
Lesson #17: Sometimes all that’s needed is just to listen. No action necessary. |
Lesson #18: Vision, plus steps to attain it, is inspiring and practical. |
Lesson #19: Encourage and respond to contrary views. |
Lesson #20: Our actions and attitudes really do make a difference. |
Lesson #21: February is a good month to cement positive habits. |
Lesson #22: Small kindnesses can have large impacts. Including creating relationships. |
Lesson #23: We can recover (and sometimes do extraordinary things) from facing real adversity. |
Lesson #24: The personal touch really matters. The difference between neutrality/slight negativity and warm positive feelings. |
Lesson #25: Enthusiasm plus competence is infectious and motivating. |
Lesson #26: Life’s short. The potential satisfaction of change is greater than the disappointment of inaction. |
Lesson #27: The unusual happens unexpectedly. Relish it. |
Lesson #28: Use imagination when building a constituency for change. |
Lesson #29: Acts of kindness can have a long tail. |
Lesson #30: Strive, but remember to be kind to yourself. |
Lesson #31: Look and think before speaking. |
Lesson #32: Contemplation and branding are a powerful combination. |
Lesson #33: Tragedy can strengthen institutions – but it always takes personal leadership. |
Lesson #34: Make a mistake? Own, move on, learn… |
Lesson #35: Extraordinary kindness occurs more than we expect… |
Lesson #36: Optimistic, positive “followership” makes a huge difference. |
Lesson #37: Not worth fretting over minor “disasters”. They’re often not. |
Lesson #38: Ecosystems make a huge difference. Great organizations help make good ecosystems. |
Lesson #39: Reaching out works wonders. |
Lesson #40: Purpose is everything. And it's infectious. |
