Margin – Dan Greer

What Happens When Teams Fight Burnout Together

Dan Greer — Tue, 01 Oct 2019 20:09:42 +0000

We all as leaders live in a world where the demands often exceed our capacity to meet them. That gap in between is called margin and we all must maintain some capacity emotionally, physically and spiritually. When a team can work together to help prevent burnout, everyone can be more effective. This HBR post is excellent:

“Here’s a vexing paradox. On the one hand, companies are offering more wellness and well-being options than ever before, including mindfulness and yoga classes, nap rooms, and fitness facilities. On the other hand, employee burnout has risen to such a level that the World Health Organization now considers it a workplace hazard.

Most corporate well-being offerings are well-intended and potentially valuable. The problem is that without challenging the deeply embedded mindset that more, bigger, faster is always better, these offerings don’t get fully supported, nor are they widely and freely utilized.”

Maintaining Margin For What Is Really Important

dangreer — Tue, 03 Sep 2019 06:00:10 +0000

Most of us are over scheduled and have way too much stress in our lives. As a reaction to the pressure of the present we often find ourselves looking back and longing for a time when life was simpler and slower than it is today.

What we selectively seem to forget is that the past had its own set of problems and even though things may have been slower that does not mean they were better. When we live in the past we also are blinded to the blessings of the present and are not able to enjoy what we have that is good in our lives.

In Richard Swenson’s book entitled Margin he deals with this romantic mentality of turning back the clock to a better time. He writes, “The analogy of a clock is not helpful. It is not the question of a clock, but a compass. The issue is not chronology, but direction.”

It is impossible to create more time in any given day. With that reality clearly in mind then we are only left with two options. We must know what is important each and every day and make sure those are the things that get done.

What is not so clear is that this does not mean adding these important things to an already full calendar. The ability to know what to say no to on a moment by moment basis is the only way we will have the emotional, spiritual and physical margin we need to live today without regrets.

Clocks can only tell you what time it is while your personal compass can tell you what to do with your time. Big Difference!!!!!!!

6 Reasons We Make Bad Decisions At Work And What To Do About Them

Dan Greer — Fri, 02 Aug 2019 06:00:22 +0000

Harvard Business Review has been my go to resource for best practice leadership development for over ten years. Everything they publish is high quality and occasionally they absolutely hit it out of the park. This post by Mike Erwin is one of those times:

“Research has shown that that the typical person makes about 2,000 decisions every waking hour. Most decisions are minor and we make them instinctively or automatically — what to wear to work in the morning, whether to eat lunch now or in ten minutes, etc. But many of the decisions we make throughout the day take real thought, and have serious consequences. Consistently making good decisions is arguably the most important habit we can develop, especially at work.”

7 Surprisingly Simple Ways To Become More Productive

Dan Greer — Thu, 30 May 2019 19:25:19 +0000

Technology and I have a strong love/hate relationship. Just when I think it is serving me, I realize I just wasted 20 minutes of my life looking or reading something that was a total waste. One major thing, specifically the smart phone, requires tremendous self discipline. This Carey Nieuwhof post is excellent:

“Ever notice your day seems to vaporize and you wonder what happened to all your best intentions? You’re ready to leave work but you barely even dented your to-do list. As a result, you’re going to have to try to justify squeezing an hour of work in once you get home, or just get up at a ridiculous hour tomorrow to try again.

Not only is that pattern unsustainable, it’s mysterious. You try not to have it happen again, but it does anyway. So…what causes that?

When Life Gets Busy, Focus On A Few Key Habits

Dan Greer — Tue, 28 May 2019 19:34:06 +0000

When my life gets really busy, I have to call timeout and reset with just my basic core priorities. They prove to be foundational in a process of regaining my margin and momentum. Self talk about one day this will always slow down is a lie to prevent us from doing what is really important. This HBR post is excellent:

“Eight months ago, we welcomed our third child. In the past, we’ve written about how to navigate careers, stress, and even “annual planning.” You’d think we’d be prepared for wonderful but disruptive life events like these, but as Mike Tyson famously quipped, “Everyone has plan until they get punched in the mouth.”

5 Surprising Traits Of Great Leaders

Sun, 17 Feb 2019 11:35:02 +0000

I have been a student of leadership for over 40 years and many things have changed. However, the core issues of valuing relationships as much as results is always on the top of the list. Being able to inspire others and build trust is also there. Valuing time to build margin is clearly gaining ground. This Fast Company post is a great reminder:

“I’ve interviewed over 5,000 people from more than 35 countries in my career as an executive headhunter and investor. I’ve sought out CEOs, presidents, board directors, and more for companies big and small, ranging from small startups to corporations with valuations in excess of $10 billion, on every continent except Antarctica.”

How To Go On A Low Information Diet

Mon, 14 Jan 2019 12:00:10 +0000

The battle with too much data and connectivity is one that I am loosing. It’s not just good data either, but information that drains me and adds unnecessary stress to my life. I have set some new goals and guardrails for this year that will allow me to leverage technology and not be a slave to it. This Fast Company post was very helpful:

“We live in a world of unlimited information. The internet produces 2.5 quintillion bytes of data every single day. Keeping up everything is impossible when we only have 24 hours in a day, and can stand in the way of getting things done and focusing on what really matters.”

You Can Be A Great Leader And Also Have A Life

Tue, 18 Dec 2018 20:08:46 +0000

As an executive coach, I have an inbound form that all clients fill out prior to our first time together. They have an opportunity to list different areas for development. Without fail, work life balance shows up on everyone’s list including mine. The lines have become so blurred and technology keeps us so connected that many times personal and family priorities drop through the cracks. This HBR post was very helpful to me:

“Tesla and Space X CEO Elon Musk tweets that no one changed the world working 40 hours a week. He rarely sleeps or sees his kids and had a famously public meltdown. Apple’s Tim Cook is on email before the sun rises. And billionaire Mark Cuban worked until 2 am launching his first business and didn’t take a vacation for seven years.

These intense work styles are often celebrated as the only way to get to the top and be a super-productive leader.”

Busyness Is Our Worst Addiction

Thu, 06 Dec 2018 16:25:49 +0000

Every day we all ask ourselves How am I doing? Where you go to answer that question is critically important. We all need security and significance but if you have replaced real accomplishments in your life with just more activity, especially at work, then you are headed for a bad place. This Forbes post is worth the read:

“When you think of addiction, you probably think of drugs and alcohol. However, you can be addicted to anything. Addiction is being compulsively or physiologically dependent on something habit-forming. Do you know what most of us are addicted to? Being busy. Busy is habit-forming. People pride themselves on being busy, but busyness is an addiction that needs to be cured.”

The Power Of Gratitude

Tue, 20 Nov 2018 12:00:39 +0000

This is one of my favorite times of the year when we stop the crazy cycle just long enough to focus on all the things we are thankful for in life. I have found the ability to do this at the beginning of every day is the secret to maintaining my passion and drive in all that I do. Enjoy this post by Tami Forman and Happy Thanksgiving:

“November is the month when we focus on gratitude. For many of us that usually means family and friends. But, as I wrote last year, you can also be grateful for your work.

This month I’d like to talk about the power of gratitude at work. Expressing gratitude to your supervisors, colleagues, and clients can be a powerful tool for advancing your career. And it works at work for the same reason it works at home — it makes you behave in ways those around you will respond positively to.”