DW's Blog

Micromanaging

by DW Green — February 21, 2018

Leaders who get in the way cause friction.

Many of us, on occasion, find ourselves micromanaging a project—either intentionally or unintentionally. Why? Because we can, or because we feel we know better or we’re more qualified than our staff. All that may be true. Or not. Sometimes micromanaging causes more problems than it solves. At best we should refrain from micromanaging but at least we should be aware of when we choose to do so.I enjoy reading author Scott Mabry. He has amazing insight on leadership. I highly recommend reading his blog, Soul To Work, life-affirming work experiences that make a positive impact on the world. https://soul2work.com/author/mabryosm/The following is from his February 6, 2018 blog, dealing with micromanaging.5 REASONS FOR LEADERS TO GET OUT OF THE WAY—SCOTT MABRY“Leaders who get in the way create friction.
Leaders who get out of the way create space.”Think about some of your favorite leaders. Were they in the way? Did people have to go through or around them to get things done? Did they try to control people or outcomes? Were they micromanagers?My guess is they were more or less the opposit...

by DW Green — February 14, 2018

Living with integrity requires an ever-present awareness.

I read a great article in Harvard Business Review this week. Ban These 5 Words From Your Corporate Values Statement, by Denise Lee Yohn.Denise writes, “Practically every organization today has a set of core values that ideally function as the ‘operating instructions’ of the company. The goal of articulating the essential and enduring principles of your organization is to inform, inspire, and instruct the day-to-day behaviors of everyone who works at your company. But this rarely happens, because most core values statements don’t get at what’s unique about the firm.”Denise bans the following five terms from every core values list she works on:Ethical (or integrity), Teamwork, Authentic, Fun and Customer-oriented. She writes, “Not only are these concepts mere table stakes for any business that wants to be competitive in today’s environment, they also don’t specify what is distinctive or uniquely valuable about your organization.”I agree with her overall premise and four of the five terms she believes should be banned. The one I question is Ethical (or integrity). According to Denise, “every company should operate ethically and...

by DW Green — February 7, 2018

Take care of customers you already have

I had an unpleasant experience at the ole auto dealership last month. I’ve leased five cars at that dealership over the past seven years. The car looks good, runs great and a heck of a value! So when my lease was up, I went to the dealer to lease a new one, same model and color. I was told they didn’t have the color I wanted in that particular model. I asked if they could get the car from another dealer? I was told that there wasn’t one in the state of Arizona. My options were to either purchase one in a color I didn’t want or drive to Nevada or California to buy the one I wanted. I wasn’t pleased with either option so I bought a different brand of car from a different dealer.Later when scheduling an inspection for the car I was returning, I was told by the national car manufacture that I could extend my lease payments for up to six months so I could order the car I wanted. Well, it was too late by then, as I had already purchased a different car. When I returned the leased car to the dealer, I explained the situation to the sales manager, telling him there was a third option, in case someone else visited the dealership with a similar situation to mine. The sales manager didn’t listen, was arrogant and ...

by DW Green — January 31, 2018

Less is more. “Acceptance is the great healer of strife, conflict, and upset. It also corrects major imbalances of perception and precludes the dominance of negative feelings. Everything serves a purpose. Humility means that we will not understand all events or occurrences. Acceptance is not passivity, but non-positionionality.” – David Hawkins

Read More – Culture Club

Everything serves a purpose.

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by DW Green — January 24, 2018

A college friend of mine recently passed way. Roy Wittstruck was his name. Roy was a big dude, very smart and very funny. He was a good man and a good friend. I think we are all blessed with the individuals we meet in a lifetime. They become our teachers, mentors, companions and friends. And I believe it’s not by accident or coincidence that certain people come into are lives. It is all meant to be, for we attract to us what we emanate.With the death of my friend Roy, I’m reminded of the wonderful poem by T.S. Elliot.The Little Gidding…

We attract to us what we emanate.

“What we call the beginning is often the end
And to make and end is to make a beginning.
The end is where we start from… We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring –
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time…Through the unknown, unremembered gate
When the last of earth left to discover
Is that which was the beginning;
At the source of the longest river
The voice of the hidden waterfall
And the children in the apple-tree
Not known, because not looked for
But heard, half-heard, in th...

by DW Green — January 17, 2018

Truth is unveiled

I have a folder on my desktop entitled “Thoughts”. When I read stuff, I type portions of what I’ve read that interest me and save them in my thoughts folder. I’ve been doing this for about ten years. I have hundreds of pages of “what’s interesting to me” thoughts in that folder. Here’s an example of a thought entry from December 29^t, 2017.Cease to identify with the body/emotions/ mind as “me.” Be truthful and admit that they are yours but not you.From thinking that we are our minds, we begin to see that we have minds—and that it is the mind that has thoughts, beliefs, feelings and opinions. Eventually we may arrive at the insight that all our thoughts are merely borrowed from the great database of consciousness and were never really our own.At all times, remain aware that the real you is not the ego. Refuse to identify with it.Truth is unveiled when we see that one has “that” or does “that,” instead of is “that.”There is great freedom in the realization that I “have” a body and a mind, rather than I “am” my mind or body.Suffering is only the price w...

by DW Green — January 10, 2018

In a word it’s purpose

Growing up in the 60’s and 70’s, I became a non-conformist, a maverick, and a Beatles fan, always questioning and challenging the status quo. I think that’s why the study of brands is so appealing to me. Branding is about connecting companies emotionally to their customers and helping them differentiate themselves in their markets. It’s about leading, not following. It’s about competing with yourself, making your company better, stronger, staying relevant in an ever-changing world and creating the best possible shopping EXPERIENCE for the customer.At the risk of sounding wacko, I invite you to have a look at a different organizational paradigm. Consider refocusing on the deep longings we have for community, meaning, dignity, purpose, and love in our organizational lives. Begin to look at the strong emotions of being human, rather than segmenting ourselves by believing that love doesn’t belong at work, or that feelings are irrelevant in an organization. Begin to see ourselves in much richer dimensions, to appreciate our wholeness, and hopefully, to design organizations that honor and make use of the great gift of who we humans are.In a word, it’s purpose. What is the underlying purpose of your...

by DW Green — January 3, 2018

“When you are through changing, you are through.”

Change is synonymous with life. Everything, everywhere is in a constant flux of change. I like this quote from Bruce Barton, author, advertising executive and politician, “When you are through changing, you are through.”The supermarket business continues to go through radical changes and rapid transformation. Remember only you can control your reaction to changes in your business. Everyone filters information through his or her personal background, wants, needs, fears, hopes, prejudices and beliefs. The result is often the development of urban “myths” about change. Let’s explore some of those myths—and the reality of business.Myth: This will go away.Reality: Change is here to stay. Myth: It will help if I get upset with this.Reality: Controlling your emotions increases your control over the situation. Myth: This is a bad thing for my store(s).Reality: Progress often masquerades as trouble. Myth: I can keep running my store(s) as I always have.Reality:...
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For A Leader

by DW Green — December 27, 2017

May those who work for you know You see and respect them

As 2017 draws to a close, I would like to thank our clients, business partners and vendors for your business and for your friendship. I’d like to thank each of you for the positive influence and impact you have had on my life and on my company. I am most grateful and appreciative of our relationships. I am honored to work with each of you. Thank you.To acknowledge the end of the year, it seems both fitting and proper to share this leadership blessing with you. I am inspired by Mr. Donohue’s words and read them often. For A LeaderJohn O’Donohue May you have the grace and wisdomTo act kindly, learningTo distinguish between what isPersonal and what is not.May you be hospitable to criticism.May you never put yourself at thecenter of things.May you not act from arrogance butout of service.May you work on yourself,Building up and refining the ways ofyour mind.May those who work for you knowYou see and respect them.May you learn to cultivate the art ofpresenceIn order to engage with those who

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Riddle

by DW Green — December 20, 2017

A sound Riddle

Riddles are fun. Well, for me anyway! You know the old riddle: If a tree crashes in a forest and there’s nobody there to hear it, does it make a sound? Well, sound requires an eardrum and a nervous system behind the eardrum. We can say that when the tree falls it makes air vibrate, and if there is anyone around with an ear and an appropriate nervous system, there will be a sound, because sound is a relationship between motion and air and ears. If there’s nobody around, the tree falling will make a vibration, but won’t make any sound. In the same way, a star sends light out into space, but the space surrounding the star is dark unless an object—a planet floating by, for example—enters that space. But if there isn’t anything in that space to relate to the star, there won’t actually be any light there.Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to All!
Read More – The Name Game
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