Goodbye 2023. Hello 2024.

As we stand on the threshold of a New Year, I find myself reflecting with gratitude on the incredible journey we have shared over the past year.  Looking back at our accomplishments, opportunities, challenges and partnerships, I am truly in awe of what we achieved together.

As we set our sights on 2024, I am eager with anticipation to embrace change, challenge ourselves further, and define our goals with enthusiasm and unity.  The New Year offers us a blank canvas, an opportunity to paint a picture of success through collaboration and innovation. 

In the spirit of simplicity, I have chosen it – simplicity – as my 2024 word to anchor my thinking and intentions for 2024.   In our dynamic and ever-distracting world, I believe that simplicity triumphs over complexity each and every time.

So, let us declutter our paths and focus on the essentials that drive our collective success. 

As a member of a high-performing team, I encourage you to prioritize the essentials, streamline processes, and communicate clearly, fostering agility, embracing diversity, and modeling innovation.

This principle of simplicity extends beyond our workplace into all aspects of our lives.  Resist overthinking, steer clear of analysis paralysis, and concentrate on delivering excellent, best-of-class, work.  Cultivate robust relationships anchored in trust, remain focused on goals, and decline distractions. 

I believe in the harmony that simplicity can bring to each of us and with it, focus and success will unfold.

Happy New Year all.  Stay healthy and safe.  See you in 2024. 

As we bid farewell to 2023, let’s raise a toast to the exciting journey that awaits us in 2024! 

Happy Thursday all,

-srt

Practicing Curiosity in the Workplace

“What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?” - anonymous

Curiosity stands out as one of the qualities I truly admire. To me, genuinely curious individuals are those who seek understanding through thoughtful questioning.

The mark of a curious person is their unwavering determination to work until they unravel the puzzle before them. This brings to mind my grand-nephew and his Harry Potter Lego Set – a project he approached with an unstoppable resolve to piece it together.

There's a certain hopefulness in the pursuit of knowledge that makes me eager to assist those who are curious in finding answers to their questions.

Reflecting on my time as a reporter for Channel 31 and The Auburn Journal, I recall the intrigue of the stories assigned to me and the diverse people I encountered while seeking the truth. In journalism, the quest involves answering the 5 W’s in every story: Who, Why, What, When, Where (and how). During my investigations, the narrative would often branch into various directions, requiring me to refocus and anchor myself in the core of the story. Despite my editor's reminders to stay focused on the immediate story, I found myself building potential leads for future stories. One such instance involved a Gulf War veteran who, after reading my article about a local jeweler selling military ID bracelets, sensed something was amiss. Although my editor hesitated, my persistence led to a revealing follow-up story exposing the jeweler's fraudulent actions. Tenacity coupled with curiosity can yield remarkable outcomes.

Bringing a curiosity mindset into the workplace necessitates embracing "what if" scenarios and being open to exploring possibilities. Cultivating a culture of curiosity involves:

• Considering all potential solutions in design sessions, regardless of how unconventional they may seem.
• Sharing diverse learnings in team meetings, even if they deviate from our usual sources of knowledge.
• Collaborating with product owners to conduct Voice of the Customer (VoC) sessions for insights that can enhance our products/services.

Now, the challenge for the upcoming weeks: Spend some time contemplating the "what if" I began this Thursday Thought with: "What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?" I'll be doing the same.

I am genuinely eager to hear your responses. Feel free to share them in the comments below, or you can send them to me via email or IM. Let's embrace curiosity together!

Happy Thursday all,

-srt

Courage to Change

Happy Thursday!

So, I did a thing last Friday.  I actually walked with my class to get my master's in business administration (MBA).  I wasn’t going to, but then my mom told me that I needed to and that she was going to throw me a party to boot.  😊 Gotta love moms.   As all good kids do, I whined about it - gave her the "you aren't the boss of me" attitude - and then did as I was told.

I am so glad I did.  It was a good reminder to take time to celebrate the accomplishments in our lives and celebrate those accompanying us on the journey. 

Courage to Change

With the New Year approaching, I have been thinking a lot about change - change we initiate and change that is delivered to us.  Both impact us, but the reaction and the accompanying emotions are quite different when the change is self-initiated versus delivered to us. 

Dictionary.com defines change as “to make the form, nature, content, future, course, etc., of (something) different from what it is or from what it would be if left alone:  to change one’s name; to change one’s opinion; to change the course of history.”

As I read the above, I realized that is not how I would define change at all.  My definition would be so much more dramatic with a lot of passionate descriptors because change is the only constant thing that we humans experience on this planet (and sometimes it is just hard). 

I mean, think about the changes that occur in your life.  For example, one might have a change in personal relationships.  A change in their job.  The change that comes with aging or even watching a newborn grow up and leave for college.

My change examples above are joyful, but sometimes change is painful.  The death of a friend or loved one.  Or a relationship ending.  Or losing one's job.   And I think of the seasons changing from Fall, with bearable weather, to winter and its crazy coldness.  The painful changes aren’t necessarily bad, they just require a different mindset.

This different mindset led me to think about the caterpillar that literally disintegrates in its own enzymes – becomes liquid – so it can become a butterfly.  Matt Haig in The Comfort Book describes this as falling apart and becoming new. 

The reality is that everyday change is happening - joyful or painful - whether we are ready or not.

So, why am I again thinking about change? 

Because the year that is coming is full of opportunity and with it change.  We have to prepare ourselves for the challenges ahead. 

There will also be an opportunity to step out of your comfort zone and work on assignments that are new and different.  Pick up work on a different application within the L3 or my portfolio or learn a new skill. 

Adjusting our mental mindset, allows us to embrace change not run from it. 

Not suggesting you liquefy yourself (lol) like the caterpillar, just want you to have the courage to change.

Happy Thursday all,

-srt

The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

 

The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

I met Alexander in 10^th Grade Geometry at El Camino Fundamental High School.   

First day of class my sophomore year, my instructor introduced himself and then pulled out the book, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst.  He turned to page one and started reading it.  He even lifted the book and showed the illustrations around to the class (can you picture that to a group of 10^th graders?). 

For those of you who haven’t met Alexander by reading (or being read) the story, here is a synopsis:

Alexander woke up feeling all wrong.  He could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day the minute he woke up. For example, he went to sleep with gum in his mouth and woke up with it in his hair.

And, when he got out of bed, he tripped on his skateboard and then dropped his jumper into the sink.  He just knew the day was doomed and it had only just begun.  His solution?  Move to Australia.

At this point, several of you just want to know why my Geometry Instructor decided to introduce himself to the class in this manner.  Right?   Honestly, I don’t know, the joke at the time was that he wanted to move to Australia. 

Others want me to just get to the point.  So here goes …

Today was a challenging day.  Granted I didn’t wake with gum in my hair, but I did start the day with a mandatory software update that required another update right after it.  After, it was just the succession of little things going wrong. 

As I stepped through each one, I kept having these moments where, like Alexander, I felt my day slipping away and becoming a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. 

And, while I recognize that we can’t always control the negative circumstances – we actually do have the power to control (or at least influence) our moods.

So, today, I want to share with you a few things I did to get control of my mood:

1. Smile - now before you mock me, studies show that smiling boosts your mood.  So next time you are caught between a mid-growl or a frown, turn it around for an immediate tension release. 
2. Smell Citrus (or lavender) - my go-to for stress release.  I keep a DoTerra Citrus Oil in my purse for moments when I want immediate calm.  Again, studies show that citrus and lavender, both natural scents, have components that can release stress. 
3. Walk - sunshine boosts serotonin.  Serotonin boosts your mood.  It is that easy.  So, take a walk!  I did and immediately felt better. 

The last thing I did today was take a moment to think of what I am grateful for in life.  I even pulled out a sheet of paper and started writing them down.  When I came upon a name, I decided to either call or write a note to share with that person my gratitude.  When things are not going well, like today, I find that focusing on all the things that are good and right helps me get back into the right mindset.

We all experience these types of days and there is so much to learn about oneself when working through the emotions that come with days like today.  One thing that gives me comfort is knowing I am not the only person who has bad days.  We all have them and how we get through them is what makes the difference.

When you wake up, and like Alexander know you are in for a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day do you choose to tackle it head-on, or do you pull the covers over your head determined to sleep through it?  Maybe you do something in between?  Give me your coping mechanisms in the comments below or shoot me an email. 

Wishing each of you a lovely, motivating, cheerful, very good day. 

Happy Thursday all, 

-srt

Learn and Grow

In 1962, my parents purchased a set of Britannica Great Books from a door-to-door salesman.  

It was a lot of money to spend in 1962 for a set of books when they had a new mouth to feed (my bro, Chris).  They believed that reading this set basically equaled a college-level education in literature. 

These books were always prominently displayed in our house and traveled with us as we moved from Oregon to Utah to Northern California to the Bay Area and back to Northern California.  

Throughout my childhood, I had used these books and respected the rules that came along with using them:

1) No dog ears (i.e. bending the top or bottom of any page

2) Absolutely no writing or highlighting in book 

3) Return them in the same condition you received them

I followed these rules diligently as, like many young children, I did not want to face the wrath of my father. 

I read Homer, Plato, Aristotle, Shakespeare, Milton, Goethe, The Federalist Papers, and so many more. 

My dad had said one day they would be mine and at the time, I would nod okay.  At the time, I didn't understand the significance of the comment and gesture. 

This weekend my mom and I moved the set into my office, placing them one-by-one on the shelves.  Many have notes that I wrote and paper bookmarks from papers I wrote in college.  A few have paper bookmarks that only Mom or Dad could have put there.   So significant now that Dad isn't with us and I find myself reading those pages wondering if that is just where he stopped or if there was something on that page he wanted to be able to go back to.

With the move, I also was reminded of the story of how my parents acquired the set.  

I am inspired to remember that my parents modeled a learn-and-grow mentality always. 

Today, I am so grateful for that. 

Happy Thursday all,

-srt

Diwali Wishes

Sunday started Diwali for many across the world.  What a powerful universal message that Diwali brings with it.  

I encourage all to reflect on the message Diwali carries which is the triumph of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, and good over evil.  

Each of us has the power and personal responsibility to bring a little more light in the world.  If we all did, can you imagine the difference it would make?

-srt

Thank a Veteran for their Service

Happy Thursday all!

Moving into the house has been very slow going.  This past weekend, the boys and their girlfriends stayed at @TheFarm and we celebrated a late Halloween.  With their help, we were also able to completely remove all of our belongings from the trailer. 

For Halloween, we were asked to come as a "pair of [fill in the blank]"   

Bruce and I came as scary skeletons.  My eldest Brandon and his girlfriend came as a pair of pumpkins.  My middle son, Devon, and his girlfriend had just gone to a party as Pokemon's Team Rocket with my son being Jesse so they came just "as is".  And my youngest son, Justin, and his girlfriend came as Anakin and Padme.  

The Picture above includes a pair of pumpkins with Lola the cat (left top); a Pair from Star Wars (left middle); my youngest Anakin with Lola the cat (left bottom); The family (top right) and me with Devon photobombing (bottom right)

As for the trailer.  Oh my, what sounds like a small task ("empty the trailer") was not.  We had every inch of that trailer filled with stuff.   I followed my own guidance and sorted everything into three piles (keep/donate / trash).  For keep, it had to be something I was going to use at least every month.  For trash, it had to be something that would not sell at a thrift store.  Of the piles, keep was the smallest and donate was the largest and I was happy to take five very large bags and two large boxes to the FieldHaven Marketplace to be put on the floor for sale.   

My husband, Bruce, and I also decided to invest in a new couch and dining table.  They won't be here in time for Thanksgiving or Christmas, but the anticipation of having a place where my boys and their girlfriends can all join Bruce and me for a family dinner along with a couch big enough for our growing family to plop down and watch a movie is something I look forward to.

Thank a Veteran for their Military Service!

November 11 is honored in the United States as Veterans Day to celebrate the service of all U.S. military Veterans.  As a mom of a Navy Veteran, a niece of three Marine Veterans, and the cousin of an Air Force Veteran, I have seen firsthand the sacrifice these men and women have made for the US. 

If I might share, my Uncle Robert “Bobby” Rea served in Vietnam as one of the Combat Correspondents, or “Snuffies” as they were called under the leadership of Dale Dye.  He would tell my brother, sister, and me the most remarkable stories.  I was very young, so I was often pulled away when the story became too serious.  I remember when he called us and said that Oliver Stone was making a movie and bringing in Dye as the military consultant to ensure events were portrayed accurately.  He was so concerned about bringing the world of war to film.  He wanted it to be accurate because he knew it was important, but he also didn’t want to be made into a movie for so many other reasons.  During the same call, he also told us that one of his friends had written a book called The Short Timers which was also going to be made into a movie.  The movie, Full Metal Jacket, was released in 1987.  Both Platoon and Full Metal Jacket are considered movies that accurately describe events that occurred, and they are as disturbing as you can imagine a movie about war would be.   My other uncles, Butch Rea, and Michael Hale, served in Vietnam as well and received several accolades and medals.  Unlike my Uncle Bobby, they never talked about their time in the military except saying it was an honor to serve.   

On November 11 consider doing something for a veteran whether it be helping one, sending a card or even learning about the veteran experience.  For the latter, I found from the WF Veteran’s Connection (ERN), that you can learn about the Wells Fargo veteran experience, culture, and perspective from both US and non-US veterans on one of the Veterans Connection ERN podcasts (click Listen to Episode 4).

For all who served, thank you.  I sincerely appreciate your service.

Happy Thursday all,

-srt

I Get by with a Little Help

Happy Thursday all,

You may notice that I have been happier on the calls yesterday and today?  Well, it might be because the house is done and we are very slowly moving in.  Some of you have asked what I am enjoying most in the new house.  

Four things to come to mind (right) Pantry, (left top) Wine Fridge, (left middle) Wet Room, and the (left bottom) Portico!  Oh, and a real bed!   

The days of acorns hitting the trailer at 3am that sound like a rockslide are over (at least, I hope).  

I also celebrated my 27-year anniversary with my company yesterday (actually 29 years – 2 years as a consultant).  Yeah!  Sharing what I posted on LinkedIn below.  

I mostly want to thank each and every one of you as YOU are those amazing, talented people who make our company a great place to work.   From Linkedin:  “As I pull out my badges from the years, I feel so incredibly blessed to have worked in challenging roles across technology, data, supply chain, risk management with amazing, talented people who encouraged me to continuously learn and grow.”

I Get by with a Little Help

Years ago I brought in Anne Warfield, Impression Management, to do Outcome Thinking training with a brand new group I was asked to manage and I was struggling with connection and building trust.

The team (7 managers) was tired and they had come from a place where they were not appreciated, overworked, or blamed because of this did not understand their own value nonetheless they had others value their work.

Anne Warfield met with me the months before the in-person training was scheduled and asked why I came to her, what I wanted to accomplish from the training, and what I hoped the team would walk away with.  

This week, in the moving/packing process, I opened up the book from the training and found my notes from those first calls.  I won’t bore you with the notes, but share them with you the outcome.

Anne was able to facilitate a series of authentic conversations within the body of training.  She walked the team through body language (including private video/consulting for each), and how to structure a message to be heard (using real-life examples), but the most important thing was how to remain calm and focused in order to be able to be strategic.  

The session with Anne was brilliant.  My new management team both learned and felt listened to.  And it was made possible because of Anne’s amazing facilitation based on six planning meetings.  would have taken months of trust-building to achieve. 

Finding the book was perfect timing and a great reminder that sometimes, you need to call in help … whether it be an expert, a leader, or a partner.  There are times when sheer tenacity alone is not the right answer. 

Are you facing a big issue or challenge?  Consider bringing in an expert.  Sometimes someone with a different lens from outside counsel can help overcome.   

Happy Thursday all,

-srt

Rapport and Belonging

Happy Thursday!

This week feels like a blur.  I want to start by offering all celebrating Durja Puja a wonderful festival.  In reading about the celebration, I am uplifted as I too believe that no matter what occurs, good will always prevail. 

Next, it is quite a blur as the construction distraction outside my office has subsided and the house has officially been approved by the city.  

Now that doesn’t mean it is really done as the outdoor kitchen and road are still not finished, but the idea of moving from the trailer to the house is an amazing feeling.  

This weekend, that is what we will be doing, beginning the process of moving into the house.  As many of you know, this is an exhausting but rewarding process.  Plan for me to be mostly broken on Monday for not lifting with the legs.  LOL.   

Rapport and Belonging

When we think about living our company expectations, one thing that often gets overlooked is how essential it is to build rapport within the team (and across organizational boundaries).   

Rapport by definition is a close relationship in which the people or groups concerned understand each other’s feelings or ideas and communicate well. 

One can see rapport in a team as there are personal connections that are evident.  The team knows each other, hobbies, family, favorite programming language 😉 maybe even career goals. There is laughing at team meetings.  And, when new members join, they are acclimated quickly.

Rapport is important as it is a foundational step in moving to Belonging.  NOTE:  I know I sent information out a few Thursday Thoughts ago about Belonging but will reshare it here.

Belonging is being part of a team where opinions are respected and valued.  Where team members feel seen and heard.  And there is trust in the team.  A trust that leads to team members being able to share freely their thoughts.  Imaging collaborative sessions where everyone contributes equally, knowing their input matters.  That is what belonging is. 

And, honestly, don’t we all want to be part of a team where we belong?  Where we, as members of the team, are valued?  Where the team lift other team members up rather than pull them down?   I do.  My best years at the company were the times when I worked with a team without ego.  Where I belonged and knew that the team valued my contributions.  Times when the team helped me through difficult professional and personal times. 

Rapport is essential as it leads to belonging.  Belonging is key because it enables an environment where team members can:

1. Embrace Candor
2. Do What’s Right
3. Be Great at Execution
4. Learn and Grow
5. Champion Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

All five are equally essential in living our company expectations.

Take a moment and think about rapport and belonging.  If you are comfortable sharing, please let me know where our team can improve on building rapport and ensuring belonging.

Happy Thursday all,

-srt

Surround Yourself with the Best People

Happy Thursday!

This week was so very busy and it didn’t help that I took some time off on Tuesday and Thursday.  However, that time was absolutely priceless and I had two amazing adventures.  Let me share...

The first, Tuesday, October 17, I had two friends come up to Lincoln.  Now what is special is these are two of my oldest friends … 40+ year old friendships.  Julia flew in from Jacksonville, Florida and Jill surprised us by dying her dark brown hair blonde.  Jill and Julia were friends who when I was in my early teens showed me what true friendship is.  (Left to Right:  Stacy and Jill making fish faces @ Trianon Ball in 1984; Jill, Stacy, and Julia grabbing lunch at a local winery in 2023; a great attempt at a pyramid with Julie, me, (another friend Kelly), and Jill on the bottom in 1983)

On the second, October 19, I was able to put in 4 hours of community support by representing FieldHaven Feline Center at a California Public Employee (CalPers) event.  The event offers CalPers employees to make payroll donations to local nonprofits who they learn about at the event.   So, I donned the cat ears and talked cat non-stop for four hours with CalPers employees.  I mean, basically, the universe was doing me a favor because I can talk cats to anyone!  The event was a success with 9 new volunteers connected to our volunteer coordinator, a few individuals asking about estate planning, and over 50 grabbing payroll donation information.  On the way home, I stopped by the shelter and was able to love on some cats in FieldHaven’s care including a few elderly cats and the community semi-feral / feral cats in Bucks Barn. (Left to Right:  Board Members (Mariah, me, and Preston) manning the table (top), FieldHaven summer promo t-shirt “Summer of Fluff” (middle), me although you can’t see my cat ears (bottom), information table w/snack bowl (right).

Sharing these two adventures is a great reminder of the importance of taking your time off when you have the opportunity to do so.  Also, to make friends with people who want the absolute best for you (read more below). 😊

Surround Yourself with the Best People

As Jill, Julia and I were talking about our friendship one thing kept coming up – how lucky we were to find each other at such vulnerable times in our lives. 

When Jill, Julia and I met, we all had been uprooted or received news that was unsettling.  I had just moved from Salt Lake City, Utah to Sacramento, California.  Julia had just moved from Clearlake, California to Sacramento, California and Jill had just found out that she was adopted.  I was the youngest of the three.  Julia was two years older (Freshman) and Jill was four years older (Junior) than me.  But age and level in school didn’t matter, in fact, none of us went to the same =because our connection was immediate. 

What brought us together was we all participated in a service organization for young women.  Our service organization focused on raising funds for service dogs for individuals with hearing or sight challenges. 

What kept us together was we truly wanted the best for each other, and we helped each other through the challenging times.  I have described it before as simply this: our friendship was solidified because each of us invested in the success of the other.  As my life improved, the others improved.  We were intentional in the support of each other’s goals and could expect honest feedback if any of us got off track.  When Jill got a full scholarship to the University of Arizona, Julia and I celebrated the accomplishment.  There was no jealousy or competition between us, just the desire for us all to meet our goals.  There, of course, was a lot of laughter and young girl antics that are happy memories of youth.   

I read somewhere that when people come into your life, you can determine whether or not they are friend material by asking yourself if you would want them to be a friend to your sister, your father, or your son.  That certainly is a great test for whether you would invite that individual into your life or if you keep them at the periphery as an acquaintance.   The caution here is not making that decision without the time to truly know the person’s character and make the determination.  As humans, we are quick to close doors instead of keeping a door open for enough time to ascertain who the person is and what their motivation is.    

I think the other challenge sometimes is not investing in people because they may be in a state of transition.  One of my dearest friends I met when she was on contract with Wells Fargo for only six months under a Deloitte SoW.   If I had thought of her as temporary, I would have missed a friendship that has spanned 10 years now.  With this said, I do know that sometimes friends come in for seasons and then are gone.  I don’t think there is a correlation between depth of friendship and length of friendship, only attempting to encourage embracing friendship when the gift is presented and proves itself worthy. 

Would love to hear your friend's stories.  Heck, share pictures too.  As humans, connection is so important, and having someone who you can be your full authentic self with is essential.  Each of you is so wonderful that I wish this for each of you and for you to be surrounded by people who truly want the best for you.

Happy Thursday all,

-srt

“Our habits govern our lives, literally.”

Happy Thursday!

I know that last month we officially entered into Fall, but this week we officially entered into the fourth quarter of 2023.  Not sure where the year went, but these next three months are critical to end 2023 strong.  

Sharing a picture of a favorite quote of mine that has long been hung on my office wall:  "Autumn shows us how beautiful it is to let things go." - unknown  

While you don't need to wait until Autumn, it is a good reminder to let go of the things that are weighing you down.  Anger, comparison, resentment, jealousy, possessions, and even grief can make you feel heavy with burden.  Let's walk into Autumn with our colors rich and vibrant and leave behind anything that does not serve a purpose of goodness in our lives.  slightly smiling face

This upcoming Monday, the United States will be celebrating Indigenous Peoples’ Day.  An important day for Americans as it recognizes the communities that lived in the Americas for thousands of years.  President Biden said this about this year’s celebration, Indigenous Peoples’ Day is intended to “honor the sovereignty, resilience and immense contributions that Native Americans have made to the world.”  He then shared the need to continue to help lift tribal communities, be advocates for their right to vote and help with access to opportunities. 

“Our habits govern our lives, literally.” 

Agree or disagree, that is the premise behind a Harvard Business Review article called "What Does It Really Take to Build a New Habit?" By Kristi DePaul. 

Research shows that about half of our daily actions and behaviors are driven by repetition.

If habits – good or bad – are driving our daily actions, then it is important that we address them as part of our self-improvement plan.  Don’t you agree?

Think about habits you have around basic things like:

• what time do you go to bed
• how often you exercise
• what you choose to eat
• your practice of mindfulness
• your meeting (or not meeting) of deadlines
• your organization skills
• what time management practices you have in place

These practices if done well and regularly, can improve work, relationships, and mental health according to the research.

I imagine, like me, you have identified areas that might benefit from improvement. 

As I think about exercise and diet, I always come back to the need for incremental change because despite Staple’s advertising there is NO easy button. 

What the article also taught me is that there is a difference between a habit and a routine. 

A habit is something we do without thinking.  A routine is something we commit to.  And, the good news is routines if they are regularly performed can evolve into habits. 

Much like Fall is a season for change, I encourage you all to look at your habits determine where improvement is needed, and commit to addressing it.  Either through building routines or acknowledgement that to evolve something needs to change.   Heck, I would also encourage you to add it to your development plan if it impacts your work life.

Happy Thursday all,

-srt 

REFERENCE:  

DePaul, Kristi.  February 2, 2021.  What Does It Really Take to Build a New Habit?  Harvard Business Review.  http://www.hbr.org.

Elevating YOU: National Customer Service Week

Happy Thursday team! 

If you are taking Monday, October 2 off to celebrate Gandhi Jayanti, I join you in celebrating the work he did for India's liberation movement.  This celebration reminds me that I should be thankful, live with humility, follow his teachings of truth and non-violence, and most of all endeavor to live more meaningfully.   

Happy Gandhi Jayanti! 

Elevating YOU:  National Customer Service Week

You may have missed the headline news on Teamworks this weekend, but it was on celebrating YOU and National Customer Service Week.   

While we pride ourselves on creating an environment where every week is customer service week, the story was about using the week to highlight and celebrate the excellent service so many of us provide to our customers and partners every day.​

What caught me when reading the article, was the reminder that every day we can celebrate amazing customer or partner success stories using our very own eCards and Spotlight Awards. 

eCards have so many designs and can be used to say thank you, celebrate a holiday or recognize one of the Wells Fargo competencies.  

Spotlight Award allows managers to recognize team members who go up and above.  If you would like to nominate someone for the Spotlight Award, send me an email with a brief overview.  If I have questions, I will grab time on your calendar. 

Happy Thursday!

-srt

Self Evaluation

Happy Thursday!

I was digging into information on “belonging”.  I didn’t find exactly what I was looking for, but did find some great materials online.  So many great learning opportunities to help you champion belonging and bring it to your day-to-day work. 

Very close to my heart, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) recognizes the entire month of September as National Suicide Prevention Month.  AFSP’s mission is to educate the public on suicide prevention awareness and to encourage more people to learn how they can help save lives.   It is a great reminder to start with self and to manage our own mental health and work–life balance.  It is also important to know what signs people considering suicide typically exhibit.   To learn more, click here.   

Self Evaluation

Harvard Business Review in an article called Don’t Underestimate the Power of Self Reflection introduces self-reflection and evaluation as a skill necessary for employees to thrive in the workplace and are qualities of great leadership. 

The authors, James R. Bailey and Scheherazade Rehman go as far as saying this capability is “the key to making yourself indispensable – not just now but far into the future.” 

It is interesting that this critical capability is seldom talked about.  Rather we hear often about communication, compassion, adaptability, communication, and emotional intelligence as key leadership traits.  Nevertheless, self-reflection and evaluation are important as they offer the individual the ability to learn.  Looking back on the day or month (without bias or regret) and evaluating the successes, obstacles, attitudes, behaviors, and all that goes with it to obtain an outcome.  The authors continue in the article and discuss the honest moment of reflection and how important it is “to seriously think about what transpired, what worked, what didn’t what can be done, and what can’t”.  They even say that the process requires courage.   I agree.

Taking this and applying it to the self-evaluation can reap rewards if only the ability to articulate your progress towards objections for the year.  It does require consistency and making the documenting a habit.

So how to make it a habit?   First, block time for self-reflection. Next, have a tool set up so you can document it.  I use One Note, but the tool isn’t important.  Truthfully, you can document in any of the available Wells Fargo products.  Just document!  Finally, don’t just add things to the list and forget them.  Go back to entries and add additional thoughts/learnings. 

Don’t forget that the self-evaluation isn’t only about what you knocked out of the park.  It is also about the times you were off track or missed the mark.  All are important items to reflect on, learn, and grow from.

Happy Thursday all,

-srt

REFERENCE:

James R. Bailey and Scheherazade Rehman.  Don’t Underestimate the Power of Self-Reflection.  Harvard Business Review 

Never, Ever, Ever Stop Learning

Happy Thursday!

What an amazing Q3 CCIBT Global Town Hall on 9/12.  With coffee in hand at 5am, I was mesmerized by the Q3 Global Technology Town Hall, broadcast live from Charlotte, NC!  The highlight was the guest speaker, Rich Diviney, talking about the attributes of leadership (Leading Superheroes:  The 5 Secrets to High Performing Teams) using his background as a US Navy Seal (20+ years of experience as a Navy SEAL Officer where he completed more than 13 overseas deployments – 11 of which were to Iraq and Afghanistan).  He was simply WONERFUL.   If you were unable to attend or would like to listen again, a replay can be found here.

[see picture]

Sharing a picture of the remodel progress with the good news that I have been told October 19 is our new move in date.  Cross your fingers as trailer living has gotten to be a little much!  😊  Pics of front of house (top), master bath tile (middle left), concrete pour (middle middle) and more tile (middle right, kitchen cabinets in (bottom left), floors in (bottom bottom) and more floors (bottom right).

Monday, the contractors got a big surprise when they went to use their tractor and found that our chickens had been using it.  The workers asked me if I had left the eggs there for them.  To which I replied, I normally give eggs in a carton.  Apparently the ripped up seat made for a good nest?  Crazy chickens.   It is a good reminder that around here, you should always watch where you sit as this could have been very messy. 

Never, Ever, Ever stop learning

We have spent much of the year talking about technical learnings in programming languages or cloud engineering/architecture.

I was reminded after listening to the Ask Me Anything this week, that sometimes the best learning is something we can digest while getting our mind off of something else.

Enter Ted Talks as not only are they free, but you can listen to them anywhere and they give free access to the world's best mentors and coaches. 

While it is easy to go to the most viewed Ted Talks, I want to suggest a few others that might help you advance your career or think differently about a topic.

1. Perspective is Everything by Rory Sutherland     Big takeaway:  Things aren’t what they are; they are what we think they are AND things are what we compare them to. 
2. Embrace the Near Win by Sarah Lewis     Big takeaway:  There is a difference between success and mastery.  Mastery is not the same as “excellence”
3. The Happy Secret to Better Work by Shawn Achor     Big takeaway:  happiness boosts productivity.
4. Your Body Language Shapes Who you Are by Amy Cuddy     Big takeaway:  confidence can be seen in body language.  Body language says a whole lot sometimes even can contradict words!
5. How to Let Go of being a “Good” person – and Become a Better Person by Dolly Chugh     Big takeaway:  Set aim on be the best version of self.
6. The Career Advice You Probably Didn’t Get by Susan Colantuono     Big takeaway:  Why do women get mired in middle management and how to break free to move up the ladder.

Now, truth be told, I wish I had found these by myself … but these were all recommended by friends and colleagues as great, unexpected finds. 

These six have pulled me in and really made me think, which is always a great thing.

Take a listen, let me know what you think and if you take anything away as a learning.

And, do you have a favorite Ted Talk that you want to share?  Send it over and I will give it a listen.

Happy Thursday all,

-srt

Prioritize What’s in YOUR Control

Happy Thursday all,

Last week, I mentioned a “prioritization process” I use each morning to help me focus in on what has to be delivered that day, that week, and the following week, and so forth. 

Sharing a post I did a few years back to try to motivate some toward better prioritization.  Hope you don't mind the "repeat" post.  

Prioritization saves time and money.  If we can all start to plan and sequence our work better, over time, we will save ourselves time to free up and do other things and save money. 

Efficiency and effectiveness should not be a reactionary trigger, it should be our normal mindset.  In order to achieve that mindset, we must prioritize our work and how we go about doing it.

Previously, I would have never-ending to-do lists with 12, 20, 30+ items on them.  Most days, it would start with a manageable number, say ten, but soon another great idea ;) or a fire drill and the list would go beyond control and I would find myself staying late or coming in early.  I admit, many an all-nighter has been pulled into order to cross everything off the list.   As we all recognize, that is not manageable and certainly not sustainable. 

“Lots of times you have very good ideas,” said Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg when describing ruthless prioritization. “But they’re not as good as the most important thing you could be doing. And you have to make the hard choices.”

So, having an unmanageable amount of items on your daily to-do list is a losing battle. How are we able to focus on tasks that are in our circle of control and add value?

I realized I needed a way to prioritize my work on things that 1) add value, 2) that I control, and 3) on importance.   

Enter Stephen Covey and his book First Things First. 

This is how it works

Objective:  Prioritize your to-do list based on what you can control and then what is important (or not important) and then what is urgent (or not urgent). 

1. Grab your list of items you need to work on. 
2. What is on the list that you can control?  Mark those things with CV (Control - Value)   
1. Prioritizing what you can control.  Focus on tasks that are in your circle of control. 
2. Recognize that when you spend time in the outer circle, your circles of influence and control shrink.
3. The more time you spend in the middle two circles, the larger they get.
3. Using a basic prioritization matrix or the Not so Basic - Covey model (examples below) to determine if your item is low/high and high/low

 

	High Impact	Low Impact
Low Effort	Yes	Maybe
High Effort	Yes	No

And, remember prioritizing is not a one-time exercise. It is essential to weekly review and adjust the prioritization matrix.  Use the roadmap to ensure leadership is in agreement with prioritization and then report to the team to keep everyone’s priorities aligned.

And, yes, I use the extended model (see below with my markup)

To all celebrating Janmashtami, I hope that you dance, eat, fly kites, and celebrate the goodness of his birth!  For my family, I ordered a plate of sweets that we will be enjoying during the movies tonight. 

Happy Thursday all,

-srt

Be the Duck

Happy Thursday!

Labor Day weekend is upon us in the United States.  In years past, United States schools would begin the day after Labor Day.  It was an informal signal that summer was over, and Fall was upon us. 

Labor Day is important as it honors workers as the foundation of a country's success.  In the United States, the holiday was established in 1894 and named “Labor Day”.   Now, in the United States, Labor Day is celebrated with parades, barbeques, getaways, and many store clearance sales (a great time to buy a new car, if you are in the market).  If you are celebrating the three-day weekend, stay safe and take a moment to celebrate the workers around the world who contribute every day. 

Be the Duck

Years ago,  I was asked by a peer how I manage conflicting priorities, aggressive deadlines and daily fire drills and remain successful.  

It was after a very stressful work week when I received her first IM that asked me how I managed it all.

I started laughing because I thought how can anyone watching think that I actually have it all together?  But, when I realized her question was genuine, I simply typed, "Be the duck." 

There it is.  Quick.  Concise.  Visual.  Well, not really, so let me explain.

For those of you who have not heard me talk about my mom, let me introduce you to her right now.  er name is Sandy Rea and she is known for her “Sandyism” (aren’t all moms?).

For years, my mom would tell my brother, sister and me to "be the duck".  It became humorous as our friends would ask, "Why be a duck?" or "What’s up with your mom and the duck?"  At one point, she even cut out a cartoon and put it on our refrigerator.  Not quite like the attached, but same message.

I remember the day, at a local pond, when she pointed out the cool composure of the duck.  Just gliding across the water.  From the surface, the duck is calm and collected.  But underneath the water, the duck's feet are paddling, working with the water to move in the intended direction.  She extended this to people and those who always appear to have their stuff together compared to those who appear to always be in a state of chaos. 

My siblings and I knew that when Mom said, "Be the duck" it meant to demonstrate composure and grace through steady control over emotion.  

To help me "be the duck" I have implemented three simple productivity tools into my daily routines:   

1) Personal Kanban - I use a Personal Kanban to organize my work.  Kanban is so simple to implement.  It allows me to prioritize my work and ensure my work in progress stays in balance.  

2) Pomodoro Technique - I use the Pomodoro Technique as a simple way to focus.  It allows me to exclusively focus on one task/project for a set amount of time (traditionally 25 minutes) then take a break (traditionally 5 minutes) and then go back in for another 25 minutes.  I use this in the mornings and at lunch for email.  Basically, I turn off distractions (IM, text, and others), set my cell phone timer for 25 minutes open up email, and hyper-focus.  When the timer goes off, I stop, save what I was working on to draft, and take a break.  After the break, I repeat.  It is amazing how many emails I can respond to without distractions and with a time limit.  

3) Set Intentions - I am a firm believer in setting intentions with agendas for meetings.  When asked to attend a meeting, I will ask for the intention and the agenda.  This helps me ensure I am ready for the meeting or in some cases address the need without having a meeting. 

With yesterday’s - all day - MIM event on Message Gateway, I realized I have not mastered time management.  There are times I am not ducklike, at all.  However, I am thankful for routines that make planning and prioritization especially important when dealing with aggressive deadlines, conflicting priorities, and daily fire drills.   I think the tools help to stay organized and might also help to be more ducklike.  😊

Enough about ducks.  Enjoy your weekend!

-srt

Shortcuts

Happy Thursday!

Guess who is back at the Farm? Our Canadian Geese couple (George and Martha) along with their kids from two seasons!  

Ryan and Bryan were present along with these past hatchings of Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello and Rafael.   Not sure if you remember my kids are comedians.  Ryan and Bryan, because they were Gooselings.  And the last four, because my kids love Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (and I love the artists).  

Oh my.  They crack me up as they never change.  

George let me know he expected some food and as I put it down for them, he honked and stood guard as his family ate.  Then off to the pond for a swim / clean.  Their arrival signals lower temperatures, pumpkins and grapes to harvest and babies, hopefully.    

Might get some pictures over the weekend to share next week.   

Microsoft Shortcuts

Years ago I didn’t know the shortcuts available on Microsoft products. 

When I think about the time saved by using shortcuts, I can’t believe I went without for so long.

My favorites?

• Ctrl + P - Print 
• Ctrl + S - Save 
• Ctrl + C - Copy
• Ctrl + V - Paste 

At the bottom of this thread is a list of the shortcuts I know that I typed up for my mom.  Did I miss any? 

Happy Thursday all!

-srt

SHORTCUTS

Ctrl + A - Select All 

Ctrl + B - Bold

Ctrl + C - Copy 

Ctrl + D - Fill 

Ctrl + F - Find 

Ctrl + G - Find next instance of text 

Ctrl + H - Replace 

Ctrl + I - Italic 

Ctrl + K - Insert a hyperlink 

Ctrl + N - New workbook 

Ctrl + O - Open 

Ctrl + P - Print 

Ctrl + R - Nothing right 

Ctrl + S - Save 

Ctrl + U - Underlined 

Ctrl + V - Paste 

Ctrl +W - Close 

Ctrl + X - Cut 

Ctrl + Y - Repeat 

Ctrl + Z - Cancel 

F1 - Help 

F2 - Edition 

F3 - Paste the name 

F4 - Repeat the last action 

F4 - When entering a formula, switch between absolute / relative references 

F5 - Goto 

F6 - Next Pane 

F7 - Spell Check 

F8 - Extension of the mode 

F9 - Recalculate all workbooks 

F10 - Activate Menubar 

F11 - New graph 

F12 - Save As 

Ctrl +: - Insert the current time 

Ctrl +; - Insert the current date 

Ctrl + "- Copy the value of the cell above 

Ctrl + '- Copy the formula from the cell above Shift - Offset Adjustment for Additional Functions in the Excel Menu 

Shift + F1 - What is it? 

Shift + F2 - Edit cell comment 

Shift + F3 - Paste the function into the formula Shift + F4 - Search Next 

Shift + F5 - Find 

Shift + F6 - Previous Panel 

Shift + F8 - Add to the selection 

Shift + F9 - Calculate the active worksheet

Shift + F10 - Popup menu display 

Shift + F11 - New spreadsheet 

Shift + F12 - Save

Ctrl + F3 - Set name 

Ctrl + F4 - Close 

Ctrl + F5 - XL, size of the restore window 

Ctrl + F6 - Next Workbook Window 

Shift + Ctrl + F6 - Previous Workbook Window Ctrl + F7 - Move window 

Ctrl + F8 - Resize Window 

Ctrl + F9 - Minimize the workbook 

Ctrl + F10 - Maximize or Restore Window 

Ctrl + F11 - Inset 4.0 Macro sheet

Ctrl + F1 - Open File 

Alt + F1 - Insert a graph

Alt + F2 - Save As 

Alt + F4 - Output 

Alt + F8 - Macro dialog 

Alt + F11 - Visual Basic Editor

Ctrl + Shift + F3 - Create a name using the names of row and column labels

Ctrl + Shift + F6 - Previous Window 

Ctrl + Shift + F12 - Printing

Alt + Shift + F1 - New spreadsheet 

Alt + Shift + F2 - Save 

Alt + = - AutoSum 

Ctrl + `- Toggle value / display of the formula Ctrl + Shift + A - Insert the argument names in the formula 

Alt + down arrow - automatic view format

Alt + '- Format Style Dialog 

Ctrl + Shift + ~ - General Format