Always On

I am a big fan of technology and the promise it has to improve life. Since the beginning of my career I have been excited about the possibility of technology giving people the freedom to work from anywhere. Covid has allowed us to finally leverage this possibility and I personally love it. But, there is also a serious shadow side - we are 'always on' and this is something new to manage and talk about. 

My LinkedIn feed is filled with articles about burn-out. It seems that everyone is writing about it and many are feeling it. I myself have been struggling with work invading much of my waking hours with back to back zoom calls with no time to pee. This is crazy, why are we allowing this?

As I think about this, I find my mind in conflict - whose responsibilty is it to manage boundaries in this 'always on' world? 

I believe in personal accountability. I believe in the power of choice and that individuals have the ability to manage their time in way that delivers work results and life enjoyment. But for many, we just aren't doing this. Why?

So as a leader, my mind goes to, is it my responsibility to manage my team's boundaries? It will be different for everyone. Who am I to create arbitrary rules that tell people how to live their life? This flies in the face of the empowering leadership that I wish to be known for. Do I really need to do this?

Where I've landed is that this is a very both/and situation. Yes, individuals AND managers have a responsibility to create boundaries that work for people. This is a brave new world for all of us. One that requires reflection and real conversation and to me, this is the stuff of true leadership. 

Leaders, what actions are you taking in support of your team having boundaries? Are you setting boundaries? This is the time where leading from example matters the most. This is a time where the action you take is what will have real impact, not what you say. Are you sending emails after hours and on weekends? You may be thinking, 'yes, but Jodi, that is when I get my 'work' done - just because I send them doesn't mean they need to respond'. And you are right, but they will think that because you have authority. A simple thing like saving your emails in drafts and sending them during work hours can make a huge difference. 

Are you each talking with your managers about boundaries? Saying no to meetings so that you can get work done? If not, why not? Notice what comes up for you when you consider this question and understand these may be some of the same thoughts that come up for your team. What if you had a conversation about that? 

This takes courage, but it needs to happen. The downside of 'always on' is not the fault of technology, it is the fault of people not managing the technology and it starts with leaders paving the way. 

Leaders, Lead!

In the 27th year of my corporate career, some things are becoming crystal clear and I simply need to speak up. There is a leadership crisis that is burning people out. There are a lot of things written to address this, but the straight up answer I see is that leaders simply need to step up and lead. 

To me, this boils down to 3 critical actions; 

• Agreed Prioritization
• Effective Resourcing 
• Innovation

Agreed Prioritization

Leaders, it is our job to know the key results that our teams must accomplish and identify the critical initiatives that will drive those results. It is then our job to communicate those to our stakeholders and get agreement. Agreement to the key indicators and a measurement approach. With this, we can lead our teams to produce the right results.

Here's the critical piece; this is not a one time effort, this requires continuous focus. These indicators and results need to be communicated and reviewed with all stakeholders consistently, regularly, frequently, faithfully, routinely, systematically. When the business changes, there will be new priorities - fine. But there needs to be dialogue. Assess, reprioritize, adjust, agree. 

This will always bring up the real conversation that must be had around what gives; what has to go, to make space for this. In having the prioritization conversation, leaders need to understand and convey impact and resourcing needs. If you don't have that in a real-time dialogue, take the time that you need to assess and come back to the prioritization discussion. Far too many times I have seen where leaders agree to work without properly understanding the impact, shoving more on their teams and themselves. This is a leadership failure.

Effective Resourcing

Leaders must honestly communicate the resources needed to enable the agreed results. And the approving leaders need to trust and empower that. If there is not resourcing to the agreed priorities, then it is imperative to go back to the first step, reassess and agree. Additionally, senior leaders if you don't trust your leadership team, you do not have the right people and that is your leadership failure.

I have seen so many cycles of wasted energy where leaders work endlessly to prove their resourcing needs often after committing to priorities which means they are already set up for failure. Let's be clear, if a company doesn't trust and empower their leaders to do what they need to do, then they are not fostering leadership. Conversely, leaders, if we are not clearly and powerfully conveying to our leadership what we need and the impact to priorities then we are not leading. 

When leaders have not effectively resourced their teams do accomplish results, I have frequently seen the leaders default to doing the work themselves - I have made this mistake myself. If we are doing the work, we are not leading which will catch up with us and that is nobody's fault but our own.  

Innovation

As leaders, we must constantly work with our teams to understand efficiency and effectiveness. Identifying and implementing opportunities for improvement. More work doesn't always need to translate into more people. We need to empower our teams to look for ways to be better and better, truly hear their recommendations and let them take action. Our people are depending on us for this as much as our leaders are.

Focusing on these 3 actions continuously is the work of a leader and it is full-time work. When we also try to do the tactical execution, make no mistake, the more important work will give way and we will not be leading anymore. Senior leaders need to pay attention - if your leaders are doing the work, this is a critical risk factor to results and you are not leading.

Thanks for listening. Although I can see this all clearly and feel passionate about it, I know it's not easy. I have to revisit these steps and part of leading well for me is to spend time reflecting on my leadership.  I have committed to a bi-weekly coaching journey to continuously improve my leadership capacity and my focus on the above quests. This is the best investment I have ever made and I strongly encourage anyone seriously committed to your leadership journey to make this investment. My coach is Aileen Gibb and she can be reached at aileen@aileengibb.com.

'Just the Wife'

Last week I was at an agriculture tradeshow speaking with farmers from across North America. I had many conversations with farm couples and often the women would introduce herself to me as 'just the wife'.  As today is International Women's Day, I feel inspired to address this statement.

Farm wives, you are not 'just the wife' and my wish is for you to stop saying that. You play an absolutely critical role in the success of your farming operation and you truly need to recognize that. Farming is an extremely complex business that requires a huge spectrum of expertise and talent to be successful and no matter what specific duties you own you are a partner in this business. More often than not, you carry the great responsibility of supporting the mental wellness of the operation and of your family - in my mind, this is the largest job of them all!

So today, I invite you to take a moment and write down all of the roles that you play in your farm operation and keep that list handy. Use this list to decide how you want to introduce yourself going forward and please replace 'just the wife' with something that truly reflects the tremendous value that you bring.

Happy Women's Day - you are all a true inspiration to me!

Attack vs. Debate

A friend of mine asked me yesterday why I seem to be absent from social media lately. Her question had a profound affect on me. I was deeply moved by the realization that she noticed - the confirmation that yes, people do truly notice each other on social media and that we have an effect on each other. This is why I am writing this post.

Everything we choose to say on social media has an effect. Every, single, thing. Every statement we make or post we share WILL positively or negatively affect our friends. I have not been on lately because I simply cannot handle the negativity.

Let me be clear - I have no issue with people having different viewpoints - that excites, stimulates and motivates me. My issue is with the way we are expressing these viewpoints. This is the difference between debate and attack. Debate is a presentation of fact with a perspective about why it is important to me - it is about my belief and presenting rationale for that belief. Attack is just that - attack on another viewpoint - often without fact.  Debate is respectful - Attack is not.

Here is the irony, October was Bullying Prevention month and we had Bullying Awareness week in November. How can we preach to kids about the importance of kindness and respect and then go on the attack in the world of social media? The kids are on there you know - they see our behaviour and they model it. Are we being who we want them to see and be?

Do you want to feel sick to your stomach? Go on Rachel Notley's Facebook page and see what people are saying. Again, I don't care if you are a Notley fan or not - she has the courage to put herself on the line to serve this province and she is being attacked - every, single, second of the day. What if she was your mother, sister, daughter or friend?

I embrace freedom of speech and our individual rights to have and share different perspectives. My simple wish is that we do not take that freedom and right lightly. Before you post or comment, please, if for nobody else but our children, think about how you can go on the debate instead of the attack and have the courage to hold each other accountable. We are all better than this.

Join Me

This week has been a tough week. Everything I see, hear and feel is heavy. Social Media - actually all media - and even one-on-one conversations are full of sadness, anger, fear and despair. I am normally a pretty positive person and I am shocked by how heavy it all feels - I was trying to put it into words last night with my husband. No wonder we have a growing issue with anxiety and depression in our world - we are bombarded all day, every day!

So, I thought about turning it all off. I seriously thought I'd just turn it all off - but how is that really helpful? I am part of community - I have a responsibility to stay engaged and create the world I want to be a part of - I think that is what Ghandi meant when he said "be the change".

Yes, sad and scary things happen in the world. Yes, we need to deal with and express these emotions. What we do not need to do is continuously regurgitate and wallow in them. We need to release them and turn them into constructive action. We need to ask the question, "ok so this happened, what do I do now"?

I choose to focus on hope and love and fun and adventure and joy. I have this one beautiful life and a limited time on this planet so given the choice, why wouldn't I stay in these things? I invite you all to do the same. For the many negative things that people do to each other that we amplify and glorify in media there are 1000's more amazingly positive things that people do for and with each other every moment of every day - we can focus on those too. And no, I don't just mean by sharing all the meme quotes that are out there in internet land but by actively noticing the good and talking about it. Or by taking positive, constructive action around something that you are passionate about.

I subscribe to a newsletter from a site called the Good Life Project. Through that newsletter, I learned about a gentleman named Scott Dinsmore who started a movement called Live Your Legend and I learned that he passed away in an accident this weekend. I am sad but strangely inspired, why? Because at least he went out in Joy! He grabbed this life and LIVED IT! In honour of him, I share his site and invite you to think about the life that you really want to live. What life do you want to show your kids is possible? I also share the link to the Good Life Project. Enjoy and have a wonderful day.

Live Your Legend

The Good Life Project

Frantic!

Nothing makes you more aware of how frantic the world is around you than having a new driver in the house.

My 14 year old just got his learners license and believe me, it is not him that is making me feel stressed out when he is behind the wheel, it is all the other drivers who are tailgating and making illegal lane changes around us.

How can we build confidence in our young people when there is absolutely no patience for the actual learning?

Unless you are a first responder or are in a life saving situation, what on earth are you all in such a rush about?  What panic is it that is forcing you to be in this much of a hurry...all...the...time? Is the constant mad rush truly necessary? Is getting to the grocery store or to work on time more important than the lives of all the other people on the road?

The crazy bit is that we do have a choice in all this. I think we tell ourselves a story that it has to be this way. But, it does not.

The next time you are aggravated on the road - please stop and have some compassion - maybe that person ahead of you is just learning.  Would you appreciate being glared at or given the finger when you are trying to learn something?

Just think about it - being this frantic is having an effect on everyone - and it doesn't have to be this way!

A Plea

I went to a funeral last Friday to say goodbye to a lovely 18 year old boy who passed away on March 12th - the victim of an accidental overdose. His stepmother has been a good friend of mine since University days. I remember when I was living in Toronto, she visited me and she had just begun dating her future husband. I remember hearing about his 2 wonderful little boys and talking a lot about the complexities of becoming involved with a person with an ex-wife and children. I remember the early days of her being a stepmom, finding her role and her voice within that role - a journey that I imagine often being more difficult than that of a mother. And now, one of her boys is gone.

The loss of this boy in the prime of his life has taken the legs out from under me. I keep telling myself this isn't about me, but I cannot deny how deeply this loss has impacted me and perhaps by sharing I can make it make a bit more sense for myself and perhaps have an impact on others.

First is the deep, deep sadness. I am so sad for my dear friend and all of this boys family. Beyond this, I am sad that there are many other teenagers out there who are right now playing Russian roulette with their lives - their lives and the lives of those who love them. I know that they feel invincible and don't believe that death can happen to them but it can, and it does. The drugs out there today can be a one time death - do we all get that - one time! It is not worth it. How do we help people understand?

Deep questions plague me around why kids are messing with these drugs. Is their pain so deep that they are desperate to do anything to avoid it? Or, are they just bored with life and looking for a thrill? I know it's a both/and story with hundreds of variations in between - so how do we make it stop? Is loving them enough?

Second, I am terrified. My oldest son is just stepping into his teenage years. Will he be able to manage? What might push him over the edge? How do I make sure he makes it through? What about his friends and their families? I know some kids his age are dabbling in stuff now - 13 & 14 years old - what do we do about that? Sometimes I feel like my husband and I are totally alone in our concern and our fear - so many other people don't see this experimentation as a big deal. It is a big deal, a huge deal - this is life changing stuff.

I have a plea for all the beautiful teens in my life. Please, know that you are loved. Know that you being here, alive - it's important. You may not know yet what gifts you hold or how they will be put to use but know for sure that they are valuable. You may not see that you matter to people around you, but trust me, you do. When you are struggling or suffering, reach out. Let somebody close to you into your world. No one can suffer alone and nothing is more important than being there for another human being. I cannot bear the thought of one more life lost or one more family grieving the hole that is left in their lives. Please when temptation is in front of you, remember these words.