GarthBox

It’s not new to think about measuring life by the moments that take our breath away.

It’s new to many to think about seeking those moments out. Proactively. Intentionally.

You know, rather than waiting for life to happen.

The only difference between a boring cup of coffee and an exquisite cup of coffee is often the existence or lack-thereof of focus on it.

Little things having a big impact is all a matter of perspective and intention.

How you choose to look at things matters. Even if it’s just a cup of coffee.

Stay Positive & Time For A Double Take, Huh?

Curious to think about how the opposite of close competition can help you.

What is a brand doing in an industry outside of yours that you can steal?

What does a brand from 20 years from now look like in your mind?

Answers may change or charge the direction you’re going.

Stay Positive & Use It To Your Advantage

Cut to the chase, put the cards on the table, break the ice, rip off the band-aid, face the music, address the elephant in the room.

They are all sayings because they have power.

In short, they all say the same thing: Do the hardest thing first.

Very little gets rewarded more than doing that.

Stay Positive & Consciously AND Subconsciously

Every challenge is an opportunity to learn something new.

For ourselves, it’s trying new things and ensuring we take a moment after succeeding or failing to reflect on what we learned.

For others, it’s more about what it’s not; it’s not doing the challenge for them. It’s not telling them how. It’s not chastising them for not getting it right. It’s not arguing with them. It’s not about redirecting.

Leaders are as successful as the combination of what they learn and what they help others learn.

Stay Positive & Create The Learning Opportunity

There’s two problems at bay if you’re not getting criticized.

The first is the obvious one; the trap many fall into: we don’t do anything worth getting criticized. The solution is just as obvious: do something new, steal from another industry and apply it to yours, ideate against the status quo.

The second is the oft-forgotten one: you’re not asking for criticism.

That team meeting that you had with a prospect, did you ask your team for radical candor right after it? How could you have better contributed?

What about asking folks to point out your weak points on the same map that you have built for the marketing campaign?

How often do you go into a one-on-one with a direct report and ask them for criticism?

Stay Positive & Feedback Is Ripe For Your Taking

There’s no means of measuring how much of a lake you can be. The size of lake is a choice.

You can be a lake that many others gather water from. You can be a lake that people throw rocks in. You can be a lake that gets rained on. You can be a lake that hundreds or thousands rely on.

No one gets to decide what size of lake you are, but you.

Of course, it’s not about being a lake so much as its about being human.

Stay Positive & You Decide

How many left turns do I have to make to get to the grocery store isn’t a bad question. With the answer, you can deduce how to get to the grocery store. But is there a better question?

A product leader asked the marketing team how far in advance do they need to know about a new product or significant feature. The question about timing isn’t a bad one. Knowing timing influences bandwidth, planning, and other resources. But there’s a better question about what the value and audience and pain points it solves that would drive a greater marketing campaign.

One more example: I was in a meeting that a team member asked what it would take for a customer to develop a workaround regarding another third party service provider. That’s actually a really good question. But the better one was what would it take for a customer to get their clients to change instead of needing to adopt a workaround procedure.

Next time you have a question (or hear one), take a moment to think about if there’s a better question.

So it goes. Great answers don’t just appear out of thin air. They’re triggered by great questions.

Stay Positive & Go From Good To Great