Category: Making a Difference

Maybe Snow is Just What We Need…

Posted on by Carl Weber

It snowed last night.  According to my neighbor is snowed 11 inches last night.  It snowed 11 inches in October.  I heard that the previous record for snow in October was about 3 inches, so take that 1908.  Honestly, I don’t actually know which year held the previous record. If you do, post it and let us all know.

I guess I could Google it, but this is the first time I have had power in about 24 hours, and this blog and you are my first priority.  What I do know is that snow knocked out our power.  The power at our house is still out, but our friend let us come over and borrow some warm water, heat and wireless internet.  You know, the essentials.

This morning, despite the lack of power, I witnessed our neighborhood help each other.  It is the funniest thing, we live relatively solitary lives.  We are pretty busy, our houses are close, and most of us work so much that we are “hey” neighbors.

Definition of “hey” neighbor:  someone you see when you walk from your car to your door and say “hey” and wave as you enter your house and live your own life.

Every time it snows, we become a little community.  Those with snow blowers go help those with shovels.  Those with shovels go and help with the walks and paths for others. For a brief moment, we all connect, share, talk and work together.  Sometimes I wonder why we don’t connect without the snow.

Despite the inconvenience of the lack of power, maybe snow is just what we need.   

P.S.  To the neighbor with the full-house generator: we are so happy for you, but next time please shut off your Christmas lights…we are cold and it doesn’t help.

Starting a Movement

Posted on by Carl Weber

Have you ever wanted to start a movement?  How about being part of something new, crazy or different?  Ever wonder how to start?

Derek Sivers gives this great talk on TED.com on how to start a movement and I wanted to share this with you.  If you are new to TED.com you should check it out.  I typically go there about once a week to be inspired, learn, and to laugh.  If this is the first time hearing about TED.com, go check it out…you never know what is up there, but it is always worth it.

So get out there and try something crazy.  Dare to start something new.  Get your first follower and your idea may take off and become something great.

P.S.  If you really want to be freaked out, watch the one about the intelligence of crows. Scary.  I have never looked at crows the same way again.

What is Going Well?

Posted on by Carl Weber

I attended a conference recently.  No speaking role, just attending.  I had an opportunity to connect with others and talk to them.  And if you haven’t guessed by now, I love to ask questions.

I started out the day with the typical, “how are things?” and received the typical replies.

“Times are hard, people are stressed, and we may have to downsize.”

Throughout the day, everyone’s and I mean everyone’s answer was just about the same.  Everyone was doing more with less, trying to manage people who are stressed and working hard, and facing the hardship of decreasing revenues.  I began to see that I was asking the wrong question.  

So at lunch, I sat with some folks and began to ask a different question.

“What is going well?”

[A period of stunned awkward silence.]

“That is a good question…”and then the answers started to flow.

My conversations turned a corner and became something else.  Something great.  I learned about great new teams that formed where they never did before.  I learned about creative ideas that were developing, being heard, and were implemented.  I heard story after story about people banding together and doing great things.

To think I would have missed all of this by asking the wrong question.  It is amazing what a difference asking the right question can make.  

Today I ask you.  What is going well?  I am looking forward to hearing your answer.

Your Sentence

Posted on by Carl Weber

In his book, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, Dan Pink (one of my favorite authors) challenges us to focus our lives in a simple way.  He tells a story about a woman who challenges President Kennedy that great people are defined by one sentence and she feared his legacy would be more like a muddled paragraph.  Take a look at this short video.

http://www.danpink.com/archives/2010/01/2questionsvideo

Dan challenges us to find our sentence.  The one statement that defines who we are, and acts like a filter for our choices each day.  I took this seriously and thought about my own sentence.  What would I want to define who I am, and what would I want to leave behind? Here is my sentence.

Was known for helping others on their journey.

That’s it.  Pretty simple right?  But think about how a simple sentence will resonate through everything we do.  For this sentence to be true, then how I lead, manage, communicate, parent, or relate to others needs to be consistent.  Did my actions help someone on their journey?  Today?

Dan goes one step further and wants us to ask ourselves one more question.  A way of putting action behind your sentence.

“Was I better today than yesterday?”

So over the next few days…take Dan’s advice.  Find your sentence, then put it into practice daily.  I look forward to hearing about the results.

Making a Difference

Posted on by Carl Weber

Are you making a difference?  Not just in the cosmic sense, but how about right now…today.  What is the one thing you can do this morning, this afternoon, or this evening that could positively impact your workplace, your home, or your community?

Does a coworker need encouragement?

Does a client need a call (and not just to sell them something)?

Is someone at work struggling; a peer, or maybe even your boss?

Is there a project you could assist with?

Is there an opportunity to lend a hand?

Is there something that is “not my job” that needs to be done?

Imagine if life was different.  Imagine if each day was given to you one day at a time.  To be given the next day you had to provide an answer to one simple question.

What was the one thing you did that made a difference today?

Would your answer earn a tomorrow?  The clock is ticking and I look forward to hearing your answer to the question.  

Go Make a Difference…Today.  You can do it!