Category: Everything else

It’s the process, stupid!

I was giving further thought to why I was making the silly mistakes I’d mentioned in this post.

And I realized that it’s the absence of a process that is the problem. This task, for example, involved sending a few emails and small mistakes in these emails are easy to make.

A simple example of how that could be avoided is by creating a simple checklist system for such a task that I refer to at every point. In my current mode of operation, I am working from memory and when that happens, we go into auto pilot and tend to lose the alertness that would accompany doing such a task otherwise.

The best thing about a process is that it can be replicated. Just doing a good job with something can’t.. and we’re much better off making a system than doing a good job because the latter simply means we will be stuck with it for the rest of our lives without a hope of passing it on..

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I love holidays! They give you so much time to think.. which would normally never happen. Believe it or not, I have a queue of such thoughts to be translated to blog posts that I’ve put down. :) Would never happen during normal busy times..

The mistakes that are annoying are not the big ones..

they’re the small, silly ones that we know we could have fixed..

I feel the impact of these tasks right at the moment. I have wondrously managed to screw up the same task in two consecutive weeks (i.e. this week and last) and every time, I’ve become creative with making a new small mistake.

Argh.. this absolutely annoys me. It isn’t where I want my level of operation to be but I guess, there’s no point getting emotional about the mistake, rather focus on how to fix it.

The best I’ve come up with is to give myself a $10 for any mistakes made when carrying out the task.. hopefully that should plug the hole!

Every task is indicative of our ability.. whether we like it or not..

At this point, I clearly do not like that thought.. but hey, fighting reality is a losing battle..

Here’s to better tasks done then! :)

Life, about dancing in the rain – a story..

It was a busy morning, about 8:30, when an elderly gentleman in his 80’s arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He said he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 am..

I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would to able to see him. I saw him looking at his watch and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound.
On examining it, it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound.
While taking care of his wound, I asked him if he had another doctor’s appointment this morning.
He said no, he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife.

I inquired as to her health.
He told me she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer’s Disease.
As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late.
He replied she no longer knew who he was, she had not recognized him in five years now.

I was surprised, and asked him,
‘And you still go every morning, even though she doesn’t know who you are?‘
He smiled as he patted my hand and said,
‘She doesn’t know me, but I still know who she is.‘

I had to hold back tears as he left, I had goose bumps on my arm, and thought,
‘That is the kind of love I want in my life.‘

True love is neither physical, nor romantic.
True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be.
The happiest people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have.
‘Life isn’t about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain.’
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Nice one, I thought.. :) Especially the line about love being just an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be and will not be..

:)

10 Leadership tips from women executives..

Power, influence and integrity are three inter-connected circles that create the foundation for being an effective leader.

Leadership goes well beyond positional power, where someone has the authority to manage other people or projects and might rightfully use coercion as a strategy.

People can also gain power by becoming an expert/authority on a specific topic, by encouraging/reinforcing others around them.

Don’t be someone you’re not. Find your personal “voice” and define your personal brand/style at work.

Power is sharing info with people; not withholding it.

For every ONE point of “suggestion/constructive criticism” you offer to an employee, provide NINE compliments.

Be willing to walk away from a company or client without integrity.

Never ask anyone to do something you wouldn’t personally do.

Don’t shrink from any conversations with yourself; you must avoid denial with regards to any situation. This can lead to small issues becoming huge ones – and people will then be asking you, “How and why did this happen?”

Embrace conflict tactfully: Speak-up (not in volume, but with opinion), debate with inquiry, and keep inquiring until there is nothing left to say.

People are listening to what you say…and to what you DON’T say.

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Courtesy: http://blogs.bnet.com/entry-level/?p=2318

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Loved the points that said ‘Never ask someone to do something you wouldn’t personally do’ and ‘Power is sharing knowledge, not withholding it’

Nice!

You can take a horse to the water..

but you can’t quite make it drink..

Lovely quote. As I’m realizing with quotes, every quote works well in a particular context. It’s only when you feel the need for a particular quote do you fully understand the magic.

When I look for quotes every morning from the little repository I’ve made up, it all depends on the mood. Sometimes I’m looking for some inspiration, sometimes its just laughs.. but there is a quote for every day, every situation..

Today’s quote is ‘You can take a horse to the water, but you can’t make it drink’

The big reason is that I’m really beginning to see why happiness is classified as internal. You could be in the middle of a hell-hole, yet happiness is a choice.. we choose to be happy, or not. I am of the point of view that things are well, as they are. There’s not much you can do about the big things.. can’t change what the economy looks like, can’t change tragedies that have taken place but we can definitely change little things in our life by just making conscious choices – consciously choosing to smile, to be happy..

It’s funny how I often notice that a lot of the most optimistic people around me, most expressive people have had some sort of serious tragedy/tough ongoing problem in their lives that they’ve learnt from. Not always the case though.. there are some who choose to be the potato in hot water, and crumble, others who harden and become cynical and finally some who, like the coffee bean, decide to adapt and change the hot water situation in itself..

Happiness is a choice. We’re always making a choice to be happy, or not. There’s no end to things to be sad about.. At any given time, every one of us has dung of some form thrown right at our faces..

Some complain about the stench, others use it as fuel and fertilizer..

It’s all a choice, really..