Randomness, Ramblings, and Ruses

Everything that I don't write anywhere else at the moment.

[silatjunkie]

Left of Center

A straight walking path, Left of center.

A reasoned stability,  Chaos the call.

A body and mind, Nature the lie.

A notion of peace, The body beheaded.

A world of sharing, Hoarded by few.

A look of strength, Wind topples over.

A life of simplicity, Some other time.

by Sean Stark

[silatjunkie]

Election Fear Mongering

This is what I think.... nobody asked but here it is anyway. Trump v. Hillary It's not the end of the world. It could just be the beginning of change. A needed change or status quo. If you consider yourself "extremely conservative" then you're going to lose. If you consider yourself a staunch Republican you will likely see your party change even more. Let's be honest, your party is not all that conservative. It's basically three or four things: Your second ammendment rights are going to continue to change and become subject to greater laws. You lost this battle during the civil war when states lost their sovereignty. Literally about a hundred years after we found freedom we gave up our ability to govern ourselves for acceptance by the collective group think. (Edit) You're going to continue to see the death of children in the uterus. The present individual will always consider themselves more entitled than the individual who isn't present. You're going to continue to see Christianity get squashed for whatever the religion of the century is. It's happened all throughout history. It will continue. Everybody else's self is going to become increasingly more important than yours. It's what happens. This will continue to degrade anywhere you live in the world. You're view of family is going to continue to be challenged. LGBT is not going to go away. Pedophiles aren't going to go away. Divorce is not going to go away. Weed is not going to go away. Government will get bigger. Education will suffer. Healthcare will suffer. If you consider yourself "liberal" then your going to lose. If you're a Democrat your party is going to change. Your party is going to become more republican. Hilary is going to be caught in more lies. It's who she is. Don't act surprised. Guns aren't going to be banned. And even if they are it won't take away mass violence. Fossil fuels won't go away. It's all about the money that backs both parties. Christians will still exist. And btw Islam is more conservative than Christianity. Don't be fooled. People will still eat meat. Organic and free range will still be secondary. It's all about the money. Government will get bigger. Education will suffer. Healthcare will suffer. The reality is that if either become president there will be some stupid, of course, but no different than any president--ever. We have a Senate and cogress that will help to keep things status quo. The only difference is the viewpoint we look at it from. The whole system should be overhauled but it won't be. Too many people like the way things are and are too lazy to do anything to change it. The people in power, well....they're IN POWER. They certainly don't want to see things change!! We have some protection against too much stupid built into our system. It is the slow migration that you need to be watchful of. It's happening now. It'll be happening in 30 years. It's been happening since the beginning. Any time their needs to be group consensus it will always be the lowest common denominator or lesser evil/good that is accepted. The only way there will be real change is if the whole of the people can decide that change is necessary. AND we can agree on what needs to change. Good luck with that. With no clear vision, no clear leader of Millions of people, there will be little chance of any substantive change. And in reality, your vote only really counts of the established system wants it to. Think about it.

[silatjunkie]

#RANTALERT #NOBODYISSAFE #NOTEVENME

I cannot tell you how many times I've heard that "Trump is the new Hitler!" So scary. 

How he's so convincing... how he's so racist... He's so sexist... He's so nationalist... he incites religious hatred... he's so suave that he can fool everyone into becoming bigoted racists who hate women and Muslims and arabs and ants and puppies! Yes. Puppies!!

Except that none of my demoncratic friends are "falling for it".... none of the establishment republicans are "falling for it"... I don't actually know anyone who is MORE of a racist than they already were. In fact, I don't know anyone who is "falling for it."

I think the people who are showing themselves as ignorant have always been ignorant and are just letting it show. Despite all of the media lying (in every direction, on every side).

To define the term ignorance:Racism is ignorance. Religious Hate is ignorance. Sexism is ignorance.

Be clear. I think Trump is a freak show. I have no idea if I will vote for him. I will NOT be voting for Hillary. Never. Ever. I think a lot of the crap that comes out of Trumps mouth is ridiculous. But there is really only like three options. He's either a genius, lunatic, or liar. Sound familiar to my Christian friends??

In any case, it is an interesting thing to see the Republican party seemingly trying so hard to get someone to commit to their party and then worried that he will be their candidate. Head=Up Asses=GOP

I think that in reality, it's because they know that he might not be business as usual. They also know that he's a bit of a loose cannon—good and bad. The GOP would be more willing to have Hillary in office as long as they remain in their cushy positions, with lifetime retirement plans, and specialized healthcare, etc.

The GOP is showing their fear. Can't you see them sweating? They are afraid that this is the party breaking apart imo. I don't think it will but it should definitely change. In fact, the whole damned lobbyist structure should change. 

Supposedly, one of my relatives was Robert Morris (I'm still finding this connection, but my Aunt says we are :). You know... form the declaration of independence... He GAVE all his money to the cause and even spent time in debtors prison. Basically he died broke.

Where did this idea of living off the govt. as a politician come from? When did it become business to live off of other peoples income? Where has the ideal of being a servant of the people gone?

And while I'm up on the box... It's interesting to see people from all over the world giving input on the elections of the United States. I understand that it impacts you via globalization, but frankly, it's hard for me to care about your opinion unless you plan to start giving us an ear into your elections and the people who lead your various countries. You have very little business promoting one candidate over another from you seat.

In that regard, I'm a little more Libertarian in view than anything though I consider myself independent. I believe in the sovereignty of nations, states and people.

I don't believe in the socialization of anything much. It has it's failings but that's generally where I live. Socialized opinions. Socialized healthcare. Socialized school. I can't say that it would bother me much if it all went away as such.

Mostly, socialized means reducing all things (good and bad) to the lowest common denominator. It takes away the good and removes the bad, yet we all still die. We just die less magnificently. No glory and no tragedy. Just neutrality. On the other hand, of course there is value from learning from each other. From helping each other. From sharing with one another. That's my inner conflict.

I'm not REP. or DEM. and yet I'm forced to choose between the two almost every election. The govt. of the U.S. does not represent my ideals and beliefs in its actions some of the time, but neither does your any government.

I am a believer in the overall ideals that the United States was founded on and strives to live up to—every time I personally think they fail.

Spewing over... time to move on.

[silatjunkie]

Life is truly known only to those who suffer, lose, endure adversity and stumble from defeat to defeat.

Anais Nin (Brainy Quote)

[silatjunkie]

SCIO. OPEROR. EXISTO.

SCIO=KNOWING=THINKING

To know something is literally the act of just knowing the essence of a thing. Head knowledge. Nothing more. I know about the Titanic. I've never been on the Titanic (doing). I was not actually part of the Titanic or part of the crew that went down with the ship (being).

The essential component to knowing something then, is thinking about it. When it comes to aspects of life then, it is essential for us to reflect on them and on others ideas related to them, in order to have basic knowledge of that person, place, thing, idea, ideal, philosophy, etc. That is knowing.

If we apply this idea to the concept of change, whether for ourselves, our being, our friends, family, work, careers, businesses, products, etc. Then we must accept that we need to step back and learn about them. Even though we probably already know something of them. The idea of reflection is to give those bits of knowledge space to germinate. Like a seed growing.

OPEROR=DO=DOING

Once you have reflected for whatever time seems approriate (I recommend doubling it in most cases). Figure out how to put that knowledge into action. It may not always be direct. For example, you may study a co-worker, or subordinates behaviors to better understand what there triggers are for erratic and destructive behavior. Likewise, a friend, or family member that goes into depression. Or, let's bring it closer, some self-destructive tendency you have.

And, let's be fair about this, it doesn't HAVE to be a negative behavior or idea. It could very well be a positive component to your life that you just want to continue to have.

In any case, it is the act of study which can lead you to an ultimate goal of expression of the thing learned. For example, It has taken me a long time to recognize that I enjoy, learning. Just the act of learning. The knowledge side of the equation. But it took me an even longer amount of time to recognize that I'm not very good at putting learned knowledge into action without intentionally trying.

That single component has taught me a lot about the process of learning. At least the way I perceive that most people learn. First learning. Then practicing. And then... Well you have to wait a little for that.

EXISTO=TO BE=BEING

The idea of "being" is kind of cool. Like, at what point are you no longer doing something but rather, an expression of something? That is "Being." As I understand it at least and for the context of this conversation. It's that point of which you no longer have to be intentional about doing, it just flows from you naturally. At that point, you typically, don't have to look outside of whatever it is for more information. It will just spontaneously, consistently, teach you as you continue to express it. 

That doesn't imply that you never learn again from an outside source. Or if it did imply that, it was not my intention. :) Instead, that what is taken in as knowledge, is immediately understood, and applied, and becomes part of your repertoire effortlessly.

With a foundation of "being", already in place, additional elements are easy to add on and find their place in that space quickly.

But it all starts with the simple act of intentional pursuit.

[silatjunkie]

Manage or Muddle? Part III

A continuing series on ideas in caring for people. If you haven’t already, please read these two other posts. 

http://silatjunkie.tumblr.com/post/45915312349/mangeormuddle

http://silatjunkie.tumblr.com/post/46043266337/manageormuddle2

They will guide you to this one.

C) Invest in the individual

At the end of the day, investing in an individual is a mutually beneficial thing to do. Really…. It is….

For one thing, it shows them that you want them to succeed. And, if you’ve coupled it with attention to the first two big ideas that I posted, they will have a context that builds loyalty rather than a feeling of being used.

This post will give some ideas on ways that you, as a manager, can do just that. But let’s say that you’re not the emotive, outwardly caring type, or you’re the manager who is all about work-what then?

Let’s get into some tactics for helping individuals around you feel like you’re invested in them.

1.) Training

Training is an obvious way for people to see you want to invest in them. It makes sense for your business for sure, and shows the individual that you’re interested their professional growth. Those are both huge things.

There are some ways to go about it that will make it even better for both of you.

From a manager or employers perspective, it is often perceived that the best training is going to give the individual the skills they need to be successful in their current role. It makes sense right? You need people who can accomplish what they’re tasked with. 

Consider this: What if I told you that’s not really investing? Investment is the idea of putting something of value in now, that if given the right time and attention, will pay dividends in the future. Of course, it could be argued that it is a value-and that would be absolutely true-in some cases.

For example, you have an individual that has been moved into a role or hired into a role that you later find out is not quite succeeding. At that point training for their current role makes sense and should absolutely be arranged.

On the other hand, if you have an individual who is already succeeding in their current role it isn’t likely to be too rewarding or seen as an investment.

Here then are some ideas for you to consider as you embark down the road of investing via the training approach.

Tactic 1) Consider asking the individual if there is training they would like. Then task them with submitting a brief proposal on the nature of the training and how it will benefit the company, either now or in the future. Discuss it with them. Don’t be afraid to express your concerns and/or encouragement. Obviously if you work in stock trading, training in sculpture may not be the best fit.

(NOTE: Doing this individually can certainly help the individual feel like you’re interest in their training is sincere but depending on the size of your team that may not be feasible.)

Tactic 2) Take it upon yourself to dream a little about where you think a person could fit in the company, and though it can be hard to do this, consider a fit that may not be part of your team. You may actually have a more balanced perspective than they do about themselves and their capabilities.

2.) Down-Time

Give people down-time and ensure that people are taking advantage of it. Just because it’s the law to provide breaks, doesn’t mean it’s not a good thing. People need to take breaks. It makes them more productive and reduces workplace stress, which increases the health of your employees.

Tactic 1) Add an additional 15 minutes onto the afternoon break. Having a :30 minute break during that “afternoon slump” will allow people to take a walk, engage in team relationship building, and otherwise, generally disconnect. 

Tactic 2) Encourage people to leave the building or at least their work area. Get them completely away.

Tactic 3) Once a month or quarterly, schedule an activity during a break period. This could be as simple as bringing in a dessert or providing some special coffee, etc. Maybe you will go way out on a limb and bring in someone to teach them about healthy habits for reducing stress. Be creative. 

In any case, encourage people to use their break time as a way to regenerate. Build a culture that supports it. 

D) Assume Good

Do yourself and your employees a favor, assume…. yes, ass-u-me that peoples motives and intentions are good. Most often, I’ve found that they are, or at the very least they were unknowingly making a mistake and not trying to bypass or change things. 

In all honesty, I’m cynical. Mostly because I know myself well enough to know that I’ve failed—a lot. I’ve also witnessed and been the recipient of things that were so obviously wrong that it’s brought out my natural bent to be cynical over the years.

That being said, by learning to look at myself first and self-evaluate, I concluded that my failings and mistakes are as good a reason as any to assume good in others. Most of the time, mistakes I’ve made, were not intentionally done with intent to harm someone else or cause conflict, etc. They were just….well…mistakes.

By knocking back my cynical side a bit in my role as a manager, I have found that life was consistently better for all parties involved, if I assumed good first.

Here are some ways to do it:

Tactic 1) If you have an individual approach you with a problem about another individual, compare that problem with your own experience first. Have others mentioned anything similar? Have you noticed something that might confirm the issue? Ask yourself if it’s even an issue? We have to learn, in a workplace to balance our own personal idiosyncrasies with those of others.

Value the persons input but do not validate their thoughts. It’s possible to do this and necessary as a manager.

Tactic 2) Encourage the individual to talk with the other person on their own before launching into some investigation into the proposed wrong doing. I would often not even offer anything beyond “have you talked with them about this?” Nine times out of ten, the answer was “no.” I had an unspoken rule that I would not engage in the fray unless their was evidence of wrong, rather than just going on one person’s view.

Tactic 3) Don’t leave tactic 2 by itself, instead, always offer to be a mediator for the discussion. What I saw time and time again, was that when I offered up tactic 2, some people would just shutdown because they didn’t want workplace conflict or to be seen as complaining or aggressive.

Getting both people into the same room to talk with you as a mediator only works if you are generally fair with people all the time—all the people on your team. If one person feels ganged up on, it’s not going to end well.

Tactic 4) Stay impartial. You really have to do your best to be “outside looking in.” Again, this is the only way that you’ll get consistently positive results from the previous tactics. I’ve also found that it truly does help to relieve your stress as a manager—it keeps you unattached from another persons struggles and allows you to evaluate these types of relational issues from a perspective of objectivity.

To put it more clearly, having compassion for an individual is acceptable but empathizing with them is not.

"I can understand why that would make you angry" versus "that makes me so angry!"

E) Own your shortcomings

As managers, owners, executives, leaders, et. al. it is easy to become too comfortable with the way you do things and think that it must be good. The reality is, that often you won’t hear anything about your shortcomings as a manager until it shows up in your review or your exit interview….. not the best times to hear negative comments. It can be downright uncomfortable.

Tactic 1) To help with this, consider giving those you manage the opportunity to give you constructive feedback. One option for this is to set aside time within your scheduled meeting with them to allow them to give you constructive critique. Set the standard by teaching them how to do it and then allow them the same opportunity. Then the hard part—listen. 

Tactic 2) If you make a mistake or someone on your team makes a mistake, don’t call them out to a superior. Own it. In reality, when someone who you manage fails, you also fail. If you are a decent manager, you shouldn’t have to do this very often but when there is a need, own it. It may not give you any points with your manager, but it will show you own the responsibility they’ve given you and your staff will trust and respect you.

Tactic 3) Study, read, and implement ideas to learn about being a more consistent manager and developing the skill of valuing people. It’s hard to do it well anytime, let alone all of the time. Keep at it.

Thanks, Sean

[silatjunkie]

Senior Pictures 2014.

©2014 Copyright. Sean Stark, All images, all rights reserved

[silatjunkie]

Facebook app permissions request.... creepy.

[silatjunkie]

winter beach decay on Flickr.

Winter at the beach.

[silatjunkie]

isolated departure on Flickr.

An Isolated Departure. When the dying meets with death.

[silatjunkie]

View my latest photo on Flickr: http://flic.kr/u/muozE/aHsjLMmpQe

isolated departure

[silatjunkie]

Scio. Operor. Existo.

The latin of Scio. Operor. Existo. can be translated into Knowing. Doing. Being. It's something I've got tattooed on my chest to remind me of the input I have into my own life, the stages of learning, and the active steps I need to take as I learn. 

RAMBLING: My "middlest" daughter read the words on my chest a day ago and came very close to interpreting them without any guidance. It was quite impressive to me!

In this life some of us go through with little thought to the things we have done and to who we are. Recently I’ve been reading a book that a friend wrote, I’m still learning who he is, but I appreciate his thoughts. In that book, he calls “A Manifesto” he quotes Heinlein:

“A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.”

Reading the quote (albeit marginalized in validity by the fictional context) got me to thinking and appreciating the things I am capable of, things I’ve never even considered but have taken for granted.

It’s an unfortunate thing that society seems to appreciate the specialization. Revering it even. Holding up specialists. Even to the production of phrases such as “Jack of all trades—master of none.” Even our work is often specialized. Yet, to be honest, I do recognize the beauty of watching a specialist at work. It is something to marvel at and often inspiring.

In fact, ask yourself when was the last time you were inspired by someone with broad talent in a lot of areas versus someone who was a specialist?

Like myself, I’d say that our society is a bit schizophrenic on the topic in reality. It doesn’t know what to value, which means, we also don’t know what to value because a term like society means the “us” of us. Not someone else. And if we aren’t schiz on it I’d say that we err on the side of specialization.

Oh, it’s true that we have schools that claim the idea of “liberal arts,” but as we move through them we are required to choose a major field of study.

I think Heinlein may have felt like specialization meant we had a limited field of view in which to paint the world. And to some extent I think he is absolutely right. Some have argued that specialization is a societal downturn and can be used against society to keep it’s people from having a total picture and therefore thinking freely. And to some extent I think that is absolutely possible and right. Some argue that specialization allows the fullest potential to be explored on a topic. And by experience I think this is also correct. I’ve seen that the more you study a given topic, experiencing more difficult questions that require more difficult solutions within the specialization, the broader and deeper you grow—within that area of expertise.

I see both as having value. Not as a cop out, but I have experienced in myself and in others both sides of the spectrum. A specialist with no ability beyond the specialty and a generalist with no ability beyond the general. Neither adds sustainable value, one choosing depth over breadth and the other breadth over depth. Heinlein probably would have agreed.

In any case, one can hardly read the Heinlein quote without being introspective in my opinion. As a result I’ve gone through it, and the obvious step is to list out the skills and knowledge that I’ve taken for granted. May I never take it for granted again!

Here goes….

I can make clothing. Repair vehicles. Design. Paint. Draw. Photograph. Edit Video. Cook. Bake. Do Laundry. Change diapers. Build a house. Hunt. Fish. Trap. Butcher. Build a Fire. Grow a garden. Design and make furniture. Remodel a house. Develop strategy. Landscape. Dance. Make a canoe. Balance accounts. Groom a horse. Nurse a dog to health. Comfort a scared child. Day or night land navigation. I’ve studied many different martial arts. Built websites. Written books. Created DVD’s. Taught others. Work in a team. Work by myself. Written poetry. Set goals and meet them. Can manage. Can be managed. Make beer and spirits. Inspire and be inspired. Make a knife. Shoot a bow. Cry. Run ten miles. Learn a language. Played music. Mourned with others. Encourage. Correct. Confront. Love.

And many more things…some good… some not as good. All have given me experience and have created me into the man that I am.

It’s been a life of learning and I don’t intend it to end now, even though I often don’t value the things that I am capable of.

May I grow into the value of being a human!

And you?

S

[silatjunkie]

The Sour Mash

I've waited a long time to blog about anything of a distilling nature, simply because there's a lot to learn and around every corner there's a slight nuance that seems either misunderstood or misinterpreted and has a foothold in common thought.

This has caused me to have to do a lot of question asking, researching, and digging to really understand the answers to some of the seemingly simple things, let alone the more complex things found within the art and craft of distilling.

This particular bit, I've been reading, reading some more, and asking questions of people around me for a time now. 

From what I can tell, the majority of people get their understanding of the term Sour Mash from the beer industry. This seems to happen often enough, yet the distilling industry often has their own slight variations to some of these terms. The Sour Mash is one of these terms that seems to cross boundaries thereby causing some confusion.

So, now that there is context for the post, understand that I could still be wrong. I have much to learn yet and there is no one else responsible for what I do not know except me.

So on with it.

There does not seem to be one industry standard definition of what sour mashing is or how to do it. There is agreement on what it is not.

That said, from my research, there are essentially two different methods but a thousand variations of creating a sour mash, most having to do with quantities and timing.

In cases that I’m familiar with, the sour mash methods are used in the manufacture of whisky and rum, but I see no reason why they could not be used in any other kind of spirit production.

Pre-Distillation Method

One method of sour mashing involves removing a bit of the fermented mash from a completed ferment and using it as a starter to be added to the next beer or wash, thereby, lowering the pH and making it more difficult for bacteria to grow.

Because this method is prior to the distillation of the wash, yeast are kept in tact, though likely dormant, because the sugars have all been consumed. As a result, batches of yeast strains are introduced successfully across washes, and as a practice, help to build consistency in the mash ferment and flavors of the distilled spirits.

The amount of post-fermented wash that is added to pre-fermented wash varies from distillery to distillery and is left to the discretion of the master distiller to determine or in larger facilities probably the Quality Control or Lab techs.

And while it is true that the flavor profile may be made more consistent by such a practice, it is not the only factor involved in the flavor of whisky, therefore, the value in this regard would be somewhat limited. That and the fact that additional yeast is often pitched to sufficiently start the wash fermenting before bacteria such as lactobacillus can take hold.

Post-Distillation Method

In regards to the second primary method of sour mashing, it is the process by which the backset or setback or spent wash may be used as part of the mashing and or fermenting process of making spirits.

Backset is the old term used for the wash, after it is distilled and distillates have been removed, leaving nothing but dead yeast, grain particulates, and water in the still pot.

The basic process is completed during the cleanout of the still, where a determined amount of backset is captured in a sanitary cooling vessel and then later used as part of the beer or wash as either part of the mashing or lautering or directly added into the ferment prior to pitching any yeast. 

The primary value for the addition of the backset is the introduction of dead yeast cells and other higher concentrations of nutrients left over from the previous mash, into the new mash, which act as food for the yeast, while simultaneously lowering pH to a less favorable amount for bacteria to grow in.

It is obviously necessary to pitch yeast or you’ll get no ferment at all other than wild ferment since there would be no living yeast to grow.

Variations

Some distillers prefer a combination of both methods and certainly the variations within these two primary processes are largely about ratios.

Conclusion

Contrary to what many people believe, sour mash has nothing at all to do with the tang or tartness of a whisky. It also doesn’t necessarily have to do with the introduction of the yeast, though that can be part of what happens. Across both methods, the sour mash process consistently lowers pH levels of the mash and makes a more hostile environment for bacteria than for yeast.

And while yeast are not particularly fond of lower pH levels, bacteria are even less fond of them so it works for the yeast to initially start the ferment and get a hold on it prior to the introduction of any bacteria.

As for labels that say Sour Mash, now you have context. Sorry if that stings a bit or some bubbles have popped. There are many many other bits about the word we use in the industry that are equally as confusing as I pursue learning this craft.

Enjoy your whisky/whiskey (for example)!

Sean Distillers Apprentice

[silatjunkie]

Do you Manage or Muddle? Part II

Context.

This the second in a series that will be as long as it feels like it needs to be. It will provide some practical ideas and steps you can take to help others around you have a fulfilling, rewarding, satisfying, career experience.

If you haven't yet read part one, you should. Here it is: http://silatjunkie.tumblr.com/post/45915312349/mangeormuddle 

The big thing is Valuing People. This extends, as I mentioned in the first post, to every area of your life. Read it. Continuing on as if you've read the first blog post....

B) Encourage. People want to know if they are succeeding, breaking ground, forging ahead, and along with that, they want to know that someone is there with them. Encouraging people helps them to know that. 

The idea behind encouraging someone can be broken up into two words: GIVE COURAGE. To do that well, you're going to have to take the necessary time required to get to know people and in particular, get to know what they do or are attempting to do. Seriously—DO NOT try to encourage people without spending the time to understand what they do or what they are trying to do. It WILL come across as fake, turning people off, rather than Giving them Courage.

I've had a boss or two in my time that wouldn't really talk to you. They hired you and then that was about the last time you really talked with them. Occasionally making there way to speak to you or the staff you managed using generic sayings like "You guys are making a difference. Keep up the good work. It's being noticed!" Sorry, but everyone knew that you had No idea what they did or what they were working on.

On some level, you just can't GIVE COURAGE without laying in the trenches along side someone when there are mortars landing around you or bullets flying overhead.

Other ways you can Give Courage to people are:

I) Let them own something. There is a substantial difference between owning a car and borrowing someone else's. For myself, I act differently with a car I rent, versus a friends car, or my own.

In a rental car, I want to take care of it—because I agreed to—but I'm only worried about it so much since it's not really my car and I recognize the car as a product that generates revenue for someone else and my agreement is short-term.

A friends car I want to return the way I borrowed. I don't want to break their trust. It's that simple. That's a longer-term investment.

For my own car, I want to take care of it, service it, fix it, wash it, buy touch up paint, and do whatever is within my power to take as much care of it as I possibly can. It represents a long-term partnership.

Most people will do exactly the same thing when you give them ownership of something at work.

II) Allow Creativity. It shows a great sense of value when you ask an individual to give input into their work. Give people an opportunity to fix what's broken, develop new methods, and utilize their strengths. You'd be surprised at who rises to the top and what strengths or interests people have! And without providing opportunity you will never know the best that your staff may have to offer.

How is this different from letting them own something? To me, allowing creativity is a much smaller bit that you may use with someone. An act of "stretching their legs" so-to-speak.

III) The Caveat. You cannot give car keys to an infant and expect them to succeed. That's not Giving Courage or Allowing Creativity. That's setting up failure.

It is Your job as a manager to be constantly on the look out for people who pop up from time to time in a meeting, or with an idea, or something that stands out a little and then working with them to see if they have at least some of what it takes to succeed.

It may also require coaching on your part. It's a little work but it brings such value to a person to know that you are interested in their success—not just your own or that of your company.

Application.

1) Tactic One. Find a way within your workplace to give people projects to own. They don't have to be big. Perhaps it's even a committee that strikes a cord with someone. However, don't assign people these tasks arbitrarily—only give these opportunities to people who really WANT to participate. 

2) Tactic Two. For the person who has done well at Tactic One. Seek their advice on some issues, or have them help you with research. Opportunities like this will show you whether someone has potential or true interest in specific areas. If nothing else, it could help you identify someone who is really good at doing research or problem solving but doesn't care about the rest of the issue. 

To do it well, try to refrain from having pre-suppositions about the outcome. Just let the individual show themselves to you. Learn about them and encourage them.

3) Tactic Three. For the person who does well with the previous tasks but seems to hold themselves back out of fear or lack of confidence, try a small promotion. It has been my experience that most people WILL rise to the occasion if given the opportunity.

In cases where you are unsure, try something I call "vacation promotions." These are opportunities for someone to step into the roll of leadership on a temporary basis, (perhaps when someone is out on vacation) without a lot of pressure to succeed long-term but gives them an opportunity to succeed and the "out" if they don't. 

4) Tactic Four. Have the potential staff member job shadow or if there is a manager that is drowning in work, let that staff person take on some of those responsibilities which shows the manager that you value them by cutting them a little slack and values the staff person by letting them rise up a little.

DON'T BE THAT COMPANY or NON-PROFIT ORG that "Empowers" people all over the place but doesn't COMPENSATE them. At some point it's just more work.

Seriously. That DOESN'T Show that you value people. It shows that you USE them.

That's a wrap.

Stay tuned as we keep moving along.

[silatjunkie]

Do You Manage or Muddle?

Context.

This is another thought or three on the issue of management, and in particular, it is based on my experience with creatives and creative production as a Creative Director. It will likely benefit any manager and any management situation.

In truth, it is both managing and encouraging creativity and creatives.

The idea of management as it is typically handled, within U.S. work culture at least, is not a perfect system but it's what we have.

For most of us the formula looks something like this:

Do Good Work (maybe great work, maybe extra)

Stay (actually just stay in the same job, stay positive, productive, focused—for years I missed the stay part)

Eventually, move into Lower Management (in most cases by default)

Stay, learn, grow, eventually move into upper management

It's basically the only system I've ever seen, with the exception of those people who also get business degrees and start in management with no actual experience...

Anyway, I don't want to get sidetracked—this is meant to help. In most places, what I've seen is that you simply are moved up with very little training afforded you or even guidance, so my hope in writing this is to give you a guide to things I've learned that are practical, not theoretical. They may not apply to you or your situation but they might!

Let's move on with things you can do as a manager to help your staff have job satisfaction, fulfillment, and longevity. 

1) Value people.

There it is. That's the list. In fact, not only is this the list for being a manager of creatives, it's the list for growing a business, building friendships, having a good home life, living out most religions (well maybe it's just some but for sure—some), and essentially DOING life in a way that is beneficial.

So how do you do it is the real question? There are many ways. 

A) Listen. Truly learn to listen to people. Sit, hear their story, share it with them and otherwise care. For some people, this is super easy. By nature they are empathetic. For me, that's not the case, I've had to learn this. Steps to doing it might be:

I) Shut up. Seriously just listen to them. 

II) Don't tell your story. Let them share theirs.

III) Know that you don't have to fix it. (If your a guy, this is probably what you do—though I know women who also err to this.)

IV) Make eye contact. Put the phone down, hands away from the keyboard, and no texting.

It's harder than it sounds. Way harder. Try it with your family. I've worked hard to do that—and I'm not always successful—probably much less successful than I think I've been. :) 

There have been more than a hundred thousand times that I was so pre-occupied with my own life, work, family, situation, etc. that I really didn't want to listen. Doing so required me to slow down, unplug from my own agenda and just share time and space. However, when I've made the effort, it's rarely been something I've regretted.

V) The caveat. There are those around you that cry wolf, play Eeyore, and politick regularly. With that in mind, you'll have to learn when and how to not become too emotionally invested. You may also need to learn some tactics for closing conversations, redirecting them, while leaving the person still feeling heard.

Application.

1) A tactic. Set a regular meeting one-on-one and listen. My recommendation is to spend the first portion of the meeting expressing the critical issues you need to address and then allow them a portion to talk about whatever is on their mind. Be clear about what amount of time they are getting from the meeting at the onset.

By giving them a determined amount of time, say something like :15 minutes, you create an environment where the person is also able to invest in the time.

Initially, I planned an hour for these and we would often go over, but as they became more regular, they were often shortened to :45 minutes or even :30 minutes. 

The advantage to having a predetermined amount of time is the provision of an agreed upon escape from the wolves, Eeyores, and politicians.

2) Tactic Two. Put the do not disturb sign on the door, or better yet, find a new location away from distractions, even if it means leaving site.

For me, a new location worked best because there will always be drama, emergency, and urgency in a workplace. For the most part it's "created drama" by those around you. Some people thrive on it, others shrivel and die in that. Most of us are somewhere in the middle. Give your staff time. It's a precious commodity to be sure, but in the end, it shows that you are interested in them rather than just what they do for you.

Wrap it up.

There will be more to the Value People idea in coming posts but for now, try implementing this one thing. 

[silatjunkie]

Reaching Potential

As a (former) manager of production staff it's imperative that you learn how to help people reach their own potential. More to the point, you have to help them WANT to reach their own potential.

That being said, there are some methods that you can use to help them. 

1) One of the most simple things you can do to help a staff member succeed is to make sure you are clearly communicating your own expectations as a manager.

In most cases, you might think that the expectations are quite clear. For example, you expect assignments given to be handled with a sense of urgency, care, and timeliness.

However, take the time to express those things verbally in a PRIVATE one-on-one preferably. It may seem obvious to you, but what may not be obvious to the staff member is how much weight a specific quality may have for you as a manager.

2) Make sure you have clearly communicated the expectations of the position.

Sometimes a person may take unspoken cues as permission to let some things slide. See the first point. 

3) For myself, I vowed that I would never let someone under my management suffer from not having a full understanding. To accommodate that vision I worked hard to give the individual open access to asking questions and support.

4) Never be afraid to ask if there is something you can do to help an individual that is struggling to meet the criteria you have set, whether it be deadlines or quality of work or anything else. It may be something simple that you can do that will help everyone else as well. 

5) Communicate clearly to the staff person what the ramifications are for not meeting the expectations that you've clearly set out. Again, this seems obvious, but it has been my experience that, what seems obvious to you may not be obvious to anyone else. Everyone comes to the table with varying innate understandings.

6) Communicate what the impact is on the team as a whole when one person does not pull the same weight as another and don't be afraid to show them the impact.

7) Hold the employee to their responsibilities. They did agree to them when they accepted the position. If they are turning in work late regularly, perhaps they need to work late? Offer up some solutions, but recognize that ultimately it is not your responsibility to "fix" the problem. It's completely theirs to own.

8) Recognize that the individual person may have more specific needs that you as a manager may need to study and assist. Perhaps some extra training would be beneficial? Maybe there are some personal problems that are temporarily causing an issue?

9) Another area is encouraging success. When an employee does something well, that they've formerly struggled at, make a big deal about it. Celebrate the success. Maybe publicly, but don't embarrass them.

10) Encourage some ownership and investment by the employee, consider having them create their own list of how they are going to succeed. Give them a specific time frame for the completion of the list and fixed timetable for successful execution of the list. Use this as a baseline for their own review. 

This is a really good start at helping an employee reach their own potential. For the most part it works. However, at a certain point, you have to understand that not everyone is capable of reaching the same level of capability. They may simply not be able to succeed in their current role. 

As a manager you have choices to make at that point. Reassign them? Replace them?

Management is tough when things are going well and can be insanely difficult when they aren't. Do your best in difficult situations to assume people have good intentions, make every effort to support them and care for them. In most cases, they will respond.

If it comes to the tougher management decisions there are a whole list of things to look at, and hopefully you have those things in place to make the decisions easier, consistent, and the best for all parties.

Take the time to be honest, direct, and open. This will take you a long way as a manager and will help those working for you to know what they are striving to accomplish.

Truth.

[silatjunkie]

Vote?? Sure.... why not...

It's that day. That one day every four years that will determine the fate of our lives, this nation, and our children's lives.

If we elect the wrong person it could be the biggest mistake we've ever made. Lives could end. Hell... the world could end....

Maybe not. 

In four years, congress and the senate can really do a lot of damage. It's true. They can pass laws and enact change that will ultimately be detrimental to the individuals of this nation.... Look around if you don't believe me. 

This post is not about any particular government party or institution. In fact, it's really speaking out against particular government parties and institutions. 

As I look back at elections past, I wonder on what basis we made our choices and what has brought us to this place today, where it seems that we make decisions based on personalities of candidates more than on their policies. Maybe we've always done that?

There's no way to honestly know I suppose....

In any case, a change to this process would be good. I don't know 10 people who think that politicians are good people trying to do good things for us. Most think they are liars, cheats, crooks, etc. Politician is a dirtier word than the foulest curse word to me. It makes me cringe.

So what if we changed how we did this thing? What if all the millions of dollars spent showboating went away? What if, WHO we voted for didn't matter but instead, WHAT we voted for? 

Maybe it would mean we could get rid of all those stupid, deceitful ads that plague us? 

Maybe it would mean we could get rid of all those signs that will end up as landfill (by candidates who claim to be "green")?

Maybe it would mean all the name calling would go away?

Maybe it would mean that we could have an election that is truly democratic?

Maybe it would mean less derisiveness in congress and the senate and more harmonious action?

Maybe it would mean no tea party? No demonstrations?

Maybe it would mean that your actual vote would count rather than some electoral college?

Weird idea right? Like why would we want any of that? Things are so amazing just the way they are.

How is the next question.

Let's take a stab at it.

What if we voted for the things we care about rather than people we liked?

What if there were no names on the ballot, just the issues, the platform of the candidates and we just voted for them?

What if, by voting for the issues our vote was cast for the person we most agreed with?

What if it was done electronically so that electoral votes wouldn't matter? We can calculate crazy amazing things...there's no reason this can't be figured out. 

I'm sure there are plenty of reasons why this couldn't work but how about reasons why it would work? 

AND as a TOTAL aside, what if we stopped doing this daylight savings thing and just moved the clocks :30 minutes and called it good?

isidewith.com

Enjoy.

Sean