Livin’ the Dream

 

Today’s my Birthday (and I’m lucky enough to be spending it with three of our grandchildren – Kendall, Cameron and Andrew – happy days!).

 

I’ve been reflecting on my life and how much I’ve been enjoying it.  Make Happy Choices is my Focus – and has been for quite a while.

 

On my 30^th Birthday I remember having dinner with some friends in Geneva (during my Procter & Gamble days) and discussing a book I was reading – Passages by Gail Sheehy – where she spelled out a roadmap for Adult Life – something I thought I was about to enter for the first time.

 

Gail passed away last year – and her book was recognised by the Library of Congress as one of the 10 most influential books of all time.  (I still refer to the 1976 edition I have in my NZ library.)

 

This morning I thought about the passions that I embraced during my Passages and was surprised to see how much they had influenced/formed me – and how important most of them were to me still.

 

13+:

• Sport – rugby, football, cricket and tennis (Man City and the All Blacks).
• Music – still my lifeblood – the storytellers, the 60’s, Folk and Country.
• Girls – a key interest growing up (accentuated by going to a boys only grammar school), now a spectator sport only!
• History – an on-going interest – Who, When, Why ...
• Religion – As a teenager I studied many of the world’s religions and was struck not by differences, but by how much they had in common.  What’s so wrong about Peace, Love and Understanding?
• English Literature – Thank you Peter Sampson who opened my eyes to drama, poetry, and contemporary fiction.
• Making Money – I hated being poor.  It’s not a driver any more, and I realise (for me) money is only important when you don’t have any.

 

25+:

• Marketing – I stumbled into my lifelong Marketing career in 1968 and have loved the whole, constantly evolving, game/art/science ever since.  Thank you Procter & Gamble who gave me my Marketing education and principles.
• Travel – I’ve hated lockdowns/isolation.  I love the world – Morocco, Italy, The Caribbean, the American West, New Zealand, the North of England – and anywhere there’s an Aman!

 

35+:

• Creativity – Thank you Susan Baird – great Aussie artist – for opening my eyes to believing in my own creativity and to appreciating the role Creativity plays in the world.  And thank you Saatchi & Saatchi people everywhere for showing me that Creativity is truly unreasonably powerful.
• Design – I’ve loved designing our homes in Carefree Arizona, Tribeca New York, Auckland New Zealand, Grasmere Cumbria, St Tropez, Kingston on Thames, and next year New Jersey.
• Food – I’ve known some great chefs, some marvellous maître d’s and some super sommeliers.  Food and drink have lit up my life.

 

45+:

• Leadership and Coaching – I have transitioned from Player – to Player/Manager – to Player/Head Coach and have loved every step of the journey.  Nothing beats inspiring people to be the best they can be.

 

Livin’ the Dream.  Forever Young.

 

KR

October 20, 2021

Everybody’s Talking (I)

 

Seems like no-one’s really listening any more nowadays – but there are four kinds of Listener.

 

We listen in each of these four styles – but we are predominantly, instinctively and personality-wise one more than the other three.  Which one are you?

 

1)    People Oriented:

        Interested in the speaker, how they think, who they are.

 

2)    Action / Task Oriented:

Primarily interested in what the speaker wants to be done.

 

3)    Content Focused:

The facts, the information, the evidence, the message.

 

4)    Fast:

Quick, short attention span, “I got it”.

 

KR

Loading Mercury with a Pitchfork

 

In the 60’s / early 70’s, I read everything that Richard Brautigan wrote.  Novels, short stories and (very short) poems.  Last week I sent six old favourites about growing old to Robin in Cordova Bay.  He liked them.  I thought you might.

 

Nobody knows what the experience is worth

but it’s better than sitting on your hands,

I keep telling myself.

---

Things slowly curve out of sight

until they are gone. Afterwards

only the curve

remains.

---

Night again

Again night

---

Fred bought a pair of ice skates.

That was 20 years ago.

He still has them but he doesn’t

skate any more.

---

The last surprise is when you come

gradually to realise that nothing

surprises you any more

---

With so short a time to live and think

about stuff, I’ve spent just about

the right amount of time on this

poem.

 

KR

Live Life, Love Life (IV)

 

And as a reminder, here are 10 tips from 64 Shots to help all of us make 2022 our best year yet.

• OODA (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act).
• Build your life around The Four Agreements.
• Fail Fast, Learn Fast, Fix Fast.
• Build your team on the Four Pillars (Responsibility, Recognition, Learning, Joy).
• When given command, take charge and do what’s right.
• Make things happen.
• Never stop listening.
• Inspire everyone you touch to be the best they can be, in pursuit of our Purpose.
• Create leaders, not followers.
• Adapt.  Improvise.  Overcome.

 

KR

Live Life, Love Life (III)

 

Inspiring a team remotely has been challenging.  And it will continue to be part of our new lives.  Here are nine things that have been helping me:

• Check in on how people are feeling, using the two-adjective headline structure.
• Talk about the tough stuff – honestly and empathetically.
• Trust your colleagues; encourage collaboration and connectivity.
• Guide, coach or point – don’t control.
• Be Present.  Be Strong.  Be Clear.
• Listen actively – with your eyes, don’t interrupt.  Be curious – ask questions.
• Focus on things that are achievable.  (Manage the Unavoidable.  Avoid the Unmanageable.)
• Stay calm and demonstrate hope (optimism grounded in facts).
• Close with the three HUM’s (Humanity, Humility, Humour).

 

KR

Live Life, Love Life (II)

 

We’ve been at home for 18 months now.  We’ve learned some stuff, hated some stuff and loved some stuff.  We must eliminate/reduce the bad stuff and do more of the good.

 

Here are nine good things to consider:

• Don’t look at your phone or your screen until you’ve had coffee, done some exercise and got dressed!
• Design a functional, personalised, inspirational work space – with a comfy chair and great lighting.
• Make sure you have great tech and great meeting disciplines (45 minute limit on meetings, 15 minute gap between meetings, five meetings/day maximum).
• Create work triggers for your brain – start and finish at the same time every day, start the day with a daily to-do list, structure your day to resemble a work day.  Put your schedule up on the fridge.
• Spell out protocols (expected response time to emails/texts, contactable hours, no-go hours, procedures for emergency contact).
• Beware the forces of darkness (the fridge, social media, the TV, the sofa and your private phone line).
• Get outside every day and bring the outside in.
• Figure out what time you’re at your best and plan to do the important (not the urgent) stuff then.
• Eat healthy – sit down in a different room – away from your screen, phone and desk.

 

KR