baldinbusiness

man with finger on lip asking for silence

I Didn’t Have to Say a Word

Leadership

In came the invitation to an emergency meeting.  A prideful thought emerged that I was only being invited so that I could “make a decision.”  Isn’t that what leaders do after all?

The situation was that the customer had called with an emergency. In short, they needed parts by Monday morning because of a production change on their end. They were desperate, so it was up to us to determine if we could juggle the competing demands of other customers, and figure out a plan of action to appease everyone?

The meeting was led by an up-and-comping sales person on our team.  He had not only called the meeting, but also had assembled the appropriate team-members to address this emergency head-on. He immediately put the production schedule, and upcoming orders, onto the screen in the conference room, and took the lead in discussing the potential scenarios. The team followed his lead and discussed the implications of the potential changes to the schedule, making double sure that no customer would be impacted.  The plant manager willingly bought into making the change, but asked for help with personnel. So, our young sales person asked for help on their behalf.  The room agreed, and our Director of Operations pledged to use the available resources necessary.  Everything was coming together, and by 1:14 p.m. a plan had emerged.

It had been 14 minutes, and I had not said a single word.

While this story may be a flattering one for Hoffer Plastics, I don’t tell it to make us look good (and I can tell plenty of war stories that are not nearly as pretty or flattering.  We make mistakes, too!)

I tell this story because of what I am about to confess:

I may not have spoken a word, but I wanted to.

I wanted people to know that I had input.

I wanted people to know that my voice mattered.

Heck, that my position mattered.

Of course, I don’t vocalize these internal struggles.  But, I am confessing they’re present. I am confessing the insecurity that often lies within.

In fact, not speaking made me wonder what people thought of me.  Did they think I was disengaged, or an ineffective leader?  (These questions made me realize that I care more about what people think of me than I often think I do. Thank you, Sarah, for reminding me of that the other night…You’re right, unfortunately).

The irony is that not saying a word is exactly what leadership is about.

In fact, leaders are supposed to lead in a way that empowers others to step up and take charge…

Moreover, leaders are to become replaceable.

Being replaceable, however, is never soothing to the ego.

“You’re not as important as you thought you are,” is what goes through one’s head in such scenarios.

Isn’t it strange that one of the ways of becoming more important to an organization is by becoming less important in certain regards?

In the scenario above, our young sales person had taken the lead.

I didn’t say a word because I followed.

Setting my pride and insecurity aside, I have to say that it was beautiful to see the team, including myself, following this person’s lead.

We reached a better result because of it.

I Didn’t Have to Say a Word Read More »

multilane highway

Your Organization Does Not Have to be Stuck

Leadership

I often hear leaders like myself saying things like “what we really need is someone to help us with ____, so we need to go hire someone who does ____.” While hiring an expert is often a good idea, and can even reap tremendous gains for the organization, “more overhead” is often used as an excuse for why the organization cannot address what they need help with.  It can even lead to the organizational mindset of being stuck – “we can’t move forward unless we get our costs in-line so that we can afford person x, otherwise we are stuck.”

There are two problems with this mindset.

First, it fails to uncover hidden talent on the team.  Turned into a question, what skills do some of our team members possess that can be leveraged for the overall benefit of the team?  For example, does a sales person excel in developing new accounts?  If so, shouldn’t I, the leader, help them manage their schedule so that they spend the majority of their time doing this, rather than spending time in day-to-day account management?  While this may sound obvious, what I have found is that leaders are often pressured to bow to what I refer to as traditional role stereotypes.  For example, the idea that the sales person should handle all aspects of their accounts, thus they may have to sacrifice some of their time building new relationships to manage their accounts effectively.  But it doesn’t end there either.  Because the sales person does this, the rest organization stays in its lane – the rest of the sales team acts the same, rather than leveraging each of its individual strengths, and the supporting services (like customer service) stay in their lane doing the “traditional” functions of their roles.  For some individual team-members, this might be the appropriate path forward.  But, and this is a big but, what if there are unhidden talents, like a customer service team-member with an acumen and desire to sell, that go unseen because they are told to stay in their lanes?

Does this mean they have to wait until the next job opening comes up?

This leads to the second problem with the stuck mindset.  Not only does it fail to uncover hidden talent on the team, it also fails to provide the opportunity for that talent to be leveraged.  “More” does not automatically mean “better.”  For example, in the case above, I could hypothetically add another sales person to the roster so that the organization reaches more customers.  But doing so would come at a cost to the organization.  Besides the fixed costs of adding overhead, it would cost others the opportunity to step up and develop their skills.  Conversely, if I challenged the sales person to give up some of the day-to-day account management, the best two options would be to hire another account manager, or find someone else on the team who could contribute.  Embracing the latter not only uncovers the hidden talent on the team, but provides the opportunity to bring it out.  Moreover, it also helps the organization become leaner instead of relying on the traditional ways “we have always done things.”

Ultimately, it is up to the leader to recognize when the organization would be better served by adding the expert.  The point is that is only one path forward.

The organization will need to think differently about how it is already doing things, and how it does things in the future.  Like Major League Baseball Teams embracing more “hybrid” roles (players who can play multiple positions), so too will we have to figure out how to manage escalating costs (healthcare, etc.) by leveraging team members that can do more than one thing.  I believe this will not only make us better, it will also offer more opportunity for our team members to develop and cultivate their own skills.

And seeing people grow may be the best part of leadership.

Your Organization Does Not Have to be Stuck Read More »

group walking down hill with leader in front

When the Leader is Challenged

Leadership

Last month our sales team had its annual two-day strategic planning event.  The team talked about its strategic goals for not only the next year, but also about where we wanted to head over the long-term.

I love how engaged our team members are.  They’re smart, motivated, passionate, and not only willing to challenge each other, they’re also willing to challenge me. In fact, one of my favorite moments of the two days was when one of our team members openly challenged my views.

The issue had to do with a pricing expectation.  The sales person stated that they disagreed with my expectation. In fact, they thought it was off-base and could lead to us losing out on business.  Rather than leave it at that, I challenged them back.  What would their expectation be if this was their company? (And it is their company because it is OUR company!)  They stated that while they saw where I was coming from, they felt a lower figure would be more apt so long as we were guaranteed the business for a certain number of years.

My response?

I’d take that deal today!

The point of this post isn’t about who is right.  In fact, I am being vague with some of the details above because they don’t matter and they’re private!  The point is that as leaders, we need to be open to being challenged. We can actually benefit greatly by it!

Being challenged matters because no single person has all the answers, or all the information.  In the scenario above, the salesperson actually made some compelling points and offered a perspective that helped improve upon my original assumption.  So, by listening to them, my view improved.

Furthermore, by listening to them I demonstrated that as a team, we listen to each other!  Remember, the entire team was present when I was challenged.  So, if I, the leader, failed to listen, then why should anyone else on the team?  We have to remember that both positive and negative behaviors are mirrored by those we lead.

Finally, the experience demonstrated that we can disagree without having any repercussions. Our culture today sees a disagreement as a personal attack. This is not the way it should be, and we need to make sure we create an environment in our workplaces where this is not the case. I did not hold a grudge towards this individual, nor did they toward me.  How do I know?  Because I intentionally sought them out at our first break and affirmed them, then revisited the conversation later in the day by telling them what I learned from it, and by texting them and another team member that evening to tell them both about my favorite two moments from the day’s events (with this one making the cut!).  All that might sound like a lot, but as the leader, it is my job to ensure that we are “all good” and that we do not silence dissenting opinions. (We aren’t right ALL the time!)

Ineffective “leaders” often crave self-esteem boosts coming from ineffective, and often uninspired team members, who long ago gave up on challenging the status quo.  The more effective path is the one where the leader surrounds themselves with people who will sometimes disagree, and often challenge.  As my experience above reminds me, everyone gets better when this happens.

Especially the leader.

When the Leader is Challenged Read More »

man sheltering his head with a book while papers fall all around him

Real Human Beings read Feedback

Uncategorized

“Do to others as you would have them do to you…unless you’re giving anonymous feedback online. Then let them have it!”

-Contemporary Modern Translation (CMT)

A friend of mine recently shared her experience reviewing survey data from her organization’s yearly event that is attended by thousands of people. “People send in their surveys anonymously, and it is like they don’t realize that an actual real human being is going to have to read them. Some of the feedback is really nasty…”

“Real human beings” read anonymous surveys.

Did you catch that?

Just making sure.

“Do to others as you would have them do to you.”

The golden rule applies directly to anonymous feedback. On a personal level, I resist anonymity by making it clear who is writing what I am writing. Or, I fill out the contact information so that the person or organization knows where the feedback is coming from. This way, I am held accountable for what I am saying, especially if I am saying something difficult (i.e. criticism).

While I am not a big fan of anonymous 360 reviews, I have done the same when asked to do them. I have even signed my name by what I said. For I want to have a face-to-face conversation with the person I am reviewing if what I wrote upsets them.

Isn’t that the decent thing to do?

And if we are the ones soliciting feedback from our teams, consider in-person interviews rather than surveys to encourage constructive, civil conversations rather than venting unfiltered frustrations.

We live in a day and age where decency is no longer the norm. Just look at the vitriol shared on all social media platforms.

We all would do well to remember that “real human beings” are on the other side of computer screens as well.

As leaders, we would do well to remember that our teams read our emails and text messages.

Aren’t they humans too?

Real human beings are always on the other side of all our communication…

Real Human Beings read Feedback Read More »

man with mouth open looking shocked

The “After Sale” Experience

Leadership

A few years ago, I purchased a brand new Jeep Grand Cherokee. I have absolutely loved driving the car ever since. In fact, the car has exceeded my expectations in terms of reliability and performance.

That said, I doubt I’ll buy another one.

How come?

The customer service at the local Jeep dealer is abysmal.

I was reminded of this recently when I sat for 3.5 hours waiting for two recalls to be fixed. I think Sarah delivered our third child in less time than it took this dealership to fix two recalls! The time sitting there was one thing, the T.V. —and noise accompanying it—was so loud I could hardly think. Worse, the programming was so depressing that it is no wonder Americans are mad at just about everything anymore. Why a dealership would want to encourage such negative animosity while customers are waiting hours for fixes to their high-priced vehicles is beyond me (I’d play something soothing in attempts to keep everyone chill to distract them from the ridiculous wait times!).

My first-world problems aside, what bothered me the most was the lack of communication. As much as I asked for clarity about when the car might be done, none was given: “I don’t know, man, it depends on how long the software takes to download.”

Really?

As my judgmental thoughts continued to fester, I asked myself a sobering question in an attempt to snap out my own negativity: What kind of after-sales experience do our customers have?

Is the information that we share clear?

If there is a delay, is it clear why?

Is it clear when the parts will be delivered?

How often are we in touch with customers after they place the P.O.?

As I sat there—and as I tried to tune out the latest celebrity nonsense that was blaring on the T.V.—I reminded myself of two important realities:

First, much of the customer’s experience happens POST sale. These experiences, as I am learning with my beloved car dealer, can shape the customer’s opinions about the brand.

Second, while I cannot control what the Jeep dealer does, I can influence what we do at Hoffer Plastics. More specifically, I can re-emphasize with our team how vital post-sale customer interaction is.

Creating clarity might not solve every issue, but it is a great starting point! Customers want to know all the answers to the questions they will be asked by their teams, and they want to know with complete certainty that those answers are trustworthy.

Then, it is up to us to deliver and prove our trustworthiness.

It is not rocket science.

Had I been told that the recall would take 3.5 hours up front, I would have probably been annoyed, maybe even upset.

But, my trust would have grown when the car was done on time.

Instead, I remain annoyed a few days later.

Worse, I continue to dream about a sports car (much to my wife’s delight!).

The after-sales experience matters immensely.

The “After Sale” Experience Read More »

little girl covering her eyes

Feeling Overwhelmed?

Personal Growth

What’s the difference between feeling “busy” and “overwhelmed?”

To illustrate the difference, think of your parents. Were they busy? As busy as you are today? How often did they ever use the word “overwhelmed?”

Personally, I don’t remember my parents describing themselves as overwhelmed back in the 1980s and 90s. Perhaps they were at times? I am positive that they were just as busy as I am today (seriously, there were not less hours in each day in 1980-something), but were they overwhelmed?

To answer that question, we have to understand what being overwhelmed is.

What do we mean when we say that we are overwhelmed? A lot of people would describe feeling overwhelmed by pointing to symptoms of busyness: too much to do on their to-do list, not knowing where to start, etc. But, this is busyness. Feelings of overwhelmed, however, deal with attention.

Attention, like time, is a limited resource. Similar to time, it is renewed each morning when we are naturally energetic, but it dissipates throughout the day. Feelings of overwhelm are on the rise because we have we had so many things fighting for our attention resources. Or, to once again use my parents as an example, while I think they were just as “busy” 30 years ago as we are now, they were certainly less distracted. How do I know? They, too, struggle with using their phones when they are around our kids (sorry, mom and dad).

I am writing about this because I often hear “victimhood” in people’s voices when describing their feeling over being overwhelmed. In fact, I hear it in my voice as well at times…

The reality is that the days have not gotten longer. Nor, have the weeks grown to 9 days.  We may be “insanely busy,” we may get too much email, work may be invading home, and home invading work. But none of these things are the problem. The problem is that we poorly allocate our attention resources. No one is forcing us to distract ourselves. No one is forcing us to check email around the clock. No one is forcing us to answer every interruption at work.

This may sound harsh, but we have done this to ourselves.

There is hope, however.

The next time we, or our teams, say that we feel overwhelmed, the response should be to ask:  Where are we placing our focus?  To what (or whom) are we giving our finite amount of attention? We are not victims! In fact, whether we realize it or not, we have control over this.

A thought to consider: What are you stopping so that you can focus on what matters? At work, what can you stop doing so that you can make more progress on your actual to-do list (the prioritized one, not the one containing 84 things of equal importance). Some things simply matter more than others, and those are the things we need to focus on!

(Note: If you can’t decipher what matters, you may need to do something extreme, like fasting from all inputs for a period, so that you can regain clarity. Inputs are not evil, but too many will drown out your thinking, which you will need to prioritize what really matters from what does not.  Remember, too, that things that are urgent are not always important; and things that are important aren’t always urgent—that doesn’t mean they should get ignored!)

The point is that feeling overwhelmed is a solvable problem.

While I can’t speak for you, this realization has helped me realize that technology, to-do lists, and other symptoms are not the problem when I feel overwhelmed.

I am.

(Need a tool to help you manage your attention?  I highly recommend Michael Hyatt’s “Full Focus Planner.”  It will help you focus on your top 3 priorities each day, and each week.  I continue to get positive feedback from those who have adopted it.  Likewise, the planner continues to help me as well).

Feeling Overwhelmed? Read More »

stack of old photos

275 Years.

Personal Growth

Last year, my sister found the following biographical data in our archives:

“It is believed that Matthias Hoffer came to America seeking religious freedom. He came to America on the ship, “Loyal Judith” via Cowes and Rotterdam.  He landed at Philadelphia on September 2, 1743.

By trade he was a weaver of fancy over-lids, but was forced to take such employment as he could find. Mr. Wohlweider, a wealthy Lancaster County farmer hired him as a farm hand.

The choice of job proved to be a happy one for Matthias married the farmer’s only daughter, Maria.  She is described as an amiable and estimable young woman. They had six sons and six daughters: Maria, Rudolph, Catharine, Elizabeth, Veronica, Ann, John, George, Magdalena, Matthias, John, and Christian.

Maria died of smallpox contracted from Hessian soldiers quartered in their home the winter of 1778 when Washington and his half-starved army were camped at Valley Forge.

On Novemeber 3, 1779, Matthias married Anna Groh with whom he had six more children: Maria, David, Jacob and Henry (twins), Peter, and Joseph.

Matthias died at an old age, a man of wealth and influence. He was buried in a “farm grave-yard” such as are common in Lancaster County.  His tomb is located several miles east of Manheim.”

Freedom.

Happy Anniversary.

275 Years. Read More »

man reading newspaper

My “JOMO” Plan

Personal Growth

I recently heard Jason Fried, CEO of Basecamp, talk about how he intentionally misses out on information so that he can increase his focus on matters of importance. Instead of the oft-used “FOMO” (Fear of Missing Out), Fried has coined the acronym “JOMO” (Joy of Missing Out) in its place. For example, Fried no longer monitors the news during the day. Rather, he reads an actual newspaper each morning (remember those?). This enables Fried to “joyfully miss out” on the latest news throughout the day. After all, the newspaper sums up the major events the next morning anyways, so why do we need to follow it in real-time?

If you have been reading my blog for any length of time, you know by now that the topic of attention fascinates me as a leader. It fascinates me because I care about people. I don’t want our team members being available all the time because every one needs breaks and rest. I also don’t want them being distracted by their work when they are with their families (and new grandchildren!). Of course I’d like our company to improve its efficiency and be less distracted as well. Duh. But, the human toll is what concerns me most. Too much information is being processed, and burnout is on the rise. While I can’t prove it, my hunch is that we are attempting to process too much, and in the process our attention is becoming more scattered.

JOMO is a new perspective to consider. I like it because it reframes the debate: could there be joy in missing out? That’s something rarely considered. I’m going to find out. Without further ado, here are a few ways I am working at implementing JOMO into my daily routine. After reviewing what I am doing, I challenge you to consider your own regime. What can you give up — joyfully — so that you can increase your attention and focus?

My changes:
-I have changed my notification settings on my iPhone. I have turned off all sounds, and “badge app icons,” and “show on lock screen.” I only allow notifications to be displayed in my “history” as “banners.” This means that I have to seek out information instead of getting the vibrating “jolt” I used to get. I realize this is only a baby step, but so far the practice has gifted me extra focus.

-I still allow for “reminders” and “calendar alerts” so that I don’t have to remember things. I mention because you don’t want to be distracted by remembering simple tasks. Automate when you can.

-I joyfully miss out on responding back to texts immediately. I don’t know if my friends appreciate this, but I no longer feel guilty about it.

-The next step is to “silence” text messages altogether. Upon posting this article, I am taking that plunge.

-I have started to place my phone on the table – ten feet away from me – when my wife and I have our “couch time” together after the kids go to bed. Because of what I am doing above, the only reason my phone vibrates is that someone is calling me. Our conversations have already gotten better.

-I am working at only using one electronic device at a time (one study claims that 88% of people watch T.V. And surf their iPhone at the time. As Curt Steinhorst says, “We can’t even focus on what used to distract us!”). I am doing this to exercise my attention muscles. Who knew watching the NFL, while NOT monitoring fantasy stats, could be good for my health?

-When a team member comes in to chat, I am turning OFF my computer screen. If it is on, I am tempted to check my email.

-Speaking of email, I am batching my email like I am forced to do when I travel internationally. This means that instead of monitoring it all day, I am processing and responding at given times throughout the day (of all these, this is the biggest work in progress).

-When I am tempted to text or email, I am picking up the phone and calling people more regularly than I used to. Why is this JOMO? It is JOMO because phone calls give me the joy of real communication instead of relying on digital. It also reaps the rewards of real connectivity, as opposed to perceived connectivity. Finally, it forces me to be more thoughtful in my responses, rather than “firing off another email.”

-I am rarely checking my social feeds unless I have to post a blog (Monday and Thursday morning), or alone on the road (a cheap connectivity thrill when I feel lonely and could use the jolt of dopamine that social media gifts). In fact, I have found social media to be a healthy “reward” when I don’t rely on in 24/7. Everything in moderation folks!

-I am reading print as much as possible (physical books over kindle and audible books, magazines over digital magazines, and eventually the physical WSJ over the digital version (I am too cheap to throw away the digital subscription I currently have!). I have discovered that focus and retention dramatically increases when I read hard copy.

You can decide if any of the above work for you. The point is two-fold: Consider lessening distracting inputs yourself, so that you can improve your own focus. And secondly, encourage and challenge your teammates to do likewise.

The benefit may be two of the greatest joys in the world…some unexpected free time and improved relationships!

My “JOMO” Plan Read More »

man on mountain top

How I dealt with a recent failure…

Personal Growth

I wanted to hide.

I wanted to get away, or be anywhere but there.

“There” was earlier this month at our golf club’s “Invitational Tournament.” I was playing with a friend. Like everyone else, I wanted to play my best at this event.

But, as the event approached, I noticed a twitch in my hands. This soon began affecting my “pitch” shots. Suddenly, I noticed my hands jabbing at normal shots that required any sort of “touch.” The worst part about it was I could not stop it. In fact, the more I tried, the worse it got. (A lesson all too familiar to those of us who golf!).

Friday featured 27 holes. On the first hole, I hit a good drive, but chunked an easy wedge to the green. Here it comes, I thought…But, I was able to hit a good shot to the green, make the putt, and win the hole. I was convinced that I had gotten past this ordeal!

If only.

The next 26 holes were excruciating. When I missed greens, and I missed more than I hit, I had no “touch.” While my score was ok the middle 9 holes–when my short game was never tested–I knew the issue was still lingering, even toying with my consciousness. I felt off overall. Feelings of nervousness and anxiety abounded. And it began affecting everything. On the second hole, I lost a tee shot right out of bounds–something I rarely do. Then it came….  To golfers, the word starts with a “Y” and I am not writing it here. Call it superstition, but a golfer is never going to write a certain “Y” word.

The worst part, and why I just wanted to dig a hole and hide, is that golf is public. I felt I was letting my partner down (he’s too kind to ever be anything but supportive, so this was my issue). Moreover, I was doing this in front of a peer (our opponent) that I had not seen in about 20 years. What would he think? My thoughts imagined that he must think that I am pathetic. That my game stinks. That I am lousy at everything. Of course, he is also too nice to think such things.

I am always harder on myself than others are. Can you relate to that?

Embarrassing. That’s the word that continued to echo through my mind that day.  I probably heard it inside my mind 948 times.

Ok, maybe it was only 594 times. I lost count.

Fast forward to that night. I could not sleep. My mind told me that even that was “embarrassing.”

We did have another 18 the next day. So, I got out of bed and prayed. If this sounds weird, hang on for a second. It is probably not what you think. Here is what I prayed for: I prayed that God would help me stop focusing on myself. Fear always leads me to self-centered thoughts. Not only was I a lousy host to my partner that day, I had failed to ask our opponents any meaningful questions throughout the day. So, I began by acknowledging this and asking for forgiveness. I also asked for strength to repent (this is a word that is religious, but easy to understand. Think of it being what you do when you turn your car around when you are lost and driving to the accurate location–the turning around is repenting). I asked for perspective. This is only golf after all! I also prayed that I would have the strength to be okay with whatever came the next day. I also reminded myself of these truths — Life is more than performance. God’s word reminds me that my identity is not tied to me. It is not tied to work, performance, or satisfying my ego. In fact, I am called to lay down my life (all of it, but especially my own self-interests) and follow Him so that I can fully love others as I want to be loved myself.

I was doing none of that…

So, as I closed my prayer time, I thanked God–as hard as this was to do in the moment–for allowing me to experience these failures publicly so that I could be re-centered on what really mattered.

Failure often does this for me.

I also thanked Him for the things that mattered most in my life (note, my golf game did not make that “cut”).

Contrary to my thoughts the day prior, the sun did come up the next morning. I began my pre-round practice session by hitting what felt like 20 ground balls at, not on, the chipping green. I told my partner that I needed to go to a psyche ward. And then I did something unintentional, but what ended up being strategic: I laughed about it.

When was the last time you laughed off your own insecurity or fear?

Back to me one last time. After laughing, I gave in and tried a new grip. Finally, I began hitting some good shots. I then told myself that I was going to focus on the only thing I could control that day: my attitude.

Maybe my grin is cheesy, but I committed to smiling more that day.

I wish I could tell you that my partner and I made a dramatic comeback and won the tournament later that day. We did not.

However, I played much better. I even hit several good “pitch” shots.

Most importantly, I got out of my self and had a good time with my partner and opponents. In fact, we closed the afternoon having lunch with the team that beat us on the last hole (we were very generous to them in our match, much to their delight!).

I share this experience because it reminded me that public failure is agonizing, even when it is “only golf.” The next time it might be public speaking, or a big work project. The only thing I can be sure of is that there will be a next time.

And the truth is, but there will be a time for you as well.

Therefore, the next time you want to hide, the next time you want to cry, the next time you want to simply give up…

Remember to smile.

Remember to get outside of yourself and connect with others.

And remember that there is no such thing as a pain-free existence in the broken world we live in. Business aside, we all know someone struggling with cancer, there are vast injustices in the world, and there really are people starving in Africa. One does not have to look far to realize this world is not right.

Therefore, maintain perspective. Is what you are going through really life or death?

And if it is, let me know.

I will pray for you.

I will connect with you.

This does not guarantee you will get better. The cross, after all, had to still be endured.

But, you won’t be alone.

(Maybe it is my ego, but I feel compelled to note that the root cause of my hand issue ended up being a physical one–relating to supplements I was taking for acid reflux– and not a mental one. This was a lesson in itself as it reminded me that I need to extend more grace to those dealing with physical calamities at work and elsewhere. Thus, I feel like it is worth mentioning here.)

How I dealt with a recent failure… Read More »