“Without upfront expectations, you can’t give feedback.” – Jasper Polak Yesterday, we let one of our kids take the car. He described an errand he was to run. We felt like the car would be gone for an hour or so. Six hours later, he returned. As we processed our discontent with our car being gone so long, I recognized we could have done better with some quick clarification on the front end. How long

In his book, The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg teaches how to break down the structure of a habit. There is a cue that triggers a routine. The completion of the routine provides a reward. Habits can be quirky and inconsequential. Creature habits: Cue: My dog greets me when I walk into the house. Routine: She jumps up until I pick her up, rub her back, and nuzzle her a bit. Reward: We both enjoy the fellowship. Happens every time. Doesn’t contribute

Dr. David Murray wrote a blog on what he learned from failure and the positives that were accomplished as a result. I want to share some of his insights: Failure humbles. It just does. Sometimes it exposes overconfidence. Sometimes it exposes a lack of preparation. It uncovers arrogance. It teaches you that you don’t do or know everything. Failure causes you to be more sympathetic to others. Suffering loss and setbacks adds perspective. Your downfalls

I’m touring Paris, France this week. I don’t speak French, but there always seems to be somebody around who speaks English, so I’m getting by. Today I went on a tour of a French market and French food purveyors. Our guide, Wendy, taught us about meats, cheeses, bread, and produce. She told us about reading the signs on the door to interpret quality. She noted some stores have plain names: butcher, baker, and cheesemaker, for

Change is constant. As a young adult, I had a teacher point out this truth. For the rest of our life, change would be coming our way. He suggested that since change is constant, we would find ourselves in a constant transition. If transition is constant, it would be wise to become skilled at making transitions. He taught us a five-step process. The first step:  Activate commitment. Here’s the idea. Transitions are real. Some we

In the last year, have you had opportunities at work to learn and grow? According to research about successful companies, the more of you who can say “yes” to that question, the stronger we will be. So when it comes to you, what would you say? What lessons have you learned? What skills have you developed? What new things have you experienced? Are you a better teammate than a year ago? How about a better

How resilient are you? How well do you respond to the setbacks in life? I was listening to Sheryl Sandberg on Facebook talk about returning from a tragic loss she experienced. Her husband died of a heart attack while working out on a vacation. She has young children and it has been a challenge to come back from the loss. She has decided to turn the tragedy into something that helps others. Here is something

“I never knew a man who was good at making excuses who was good at anything else.” – Benjamin Franklin When things turn out in a way we don’t desire, it’s important to study what happened, determine what we have learned, and plan to get better. People who make excuses tend to get stuck.  Making excuses usually involves pointing a finger at someone or something as the reason for the shortfall. I interpret Franklin’s quote

I was moving some furniture this weekend. One piece was an antique pedestal table with a separate marble top. Knowing the top and bottom were unattached, we lifted it onto the open truck bed in one piece. My thought was that the marble was heavy and would probably stay in place. You know the story, right? When I reached my destination, the tabletop was gone. I retraced the path and found it broken in the