The Lottery Project Effect

Garth Beyer

LotteryProjectEffect

When I call forth a team of bright-minded, intuitive individuals to come up with and execute a project idea, we usually don’t find the end.

It doesn’t say much about the specific team members. Like I said, they are all intelligent, all creative and all ambitious. The problem is what I call the Lottery Project Effect.

To them (to anyone I call on) it’s as if they’ve been given the chance to buy a lottery ticket. They show up to the first meeting, they arrive, bringing a determined and creative aura with them. They’re ready to win the lottery.

As Seth Godin says, “The thrill of possibility, the chance for recognition, the chemical high of anticipation. That’s what people pay [show up] for.”

Buying a lottery ticket incites the anticipation and thrill. On the project end, though, being called on is the lottery ticket purchase. The thing is, they don’t cash in the ticket when the project is complete. They’re cashing in the ticket when they show up. The opportunity to create is the reward. They’ve won. But then starts the hard work.

If you didn’t know already, most people who win the lottery end up unhappy in the long run and continue to buy lottery tickets. So it goes on the project side, the thrill of possibility dies down, the chance for recognition that they hoped for starts being fulfilled the moment they meet other team members, the chemical high of anticipation gets trumped by the idea of “I’ve just won the lottery, now what the hell do I do?”

As the project leader, do you keep giving them lottery tickets? Or wait for a team that isn’t interested in the lottery.

 

Stay Positive & Tough Call, Huh? (That’s the Lottery Project Effect for you.)

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It Was Okay, Thanks

It Was Okay, Thanks

Garth Beyer

Okay

Let me take a stab at figuring out what’s holding you back.

You’ve got plenty of great ideas. You start working on them, ordering what you need, planning schedules, collecting a team. Maybe you even complete your project.

Notice how I left “what’s holding you back” very vague. You might be held back from starting, held back from continuing, held back from finishing or held back from promoting what you’ve completed. To any of this, let me ask one important question.

How is your service? Or your product? Or your project?

Really tell me how it is. Is it phenomenal? Remarkable? A dream come true?

Or is it okay? Average? Decent? Acceptable?

Most of the time, what’s holding you back is that we answer with the latter. And the worst part, get stuck there. We feel the need to make it remarkable, but don’t want to put in the effort or are flat-out unsure if it’s something we can make remarkable. There’s no shame in that. A LOT of things are just okay.

When you’re in this spot, consider two things.

1) There’s a tribe out there that only want “okay.” Let them have it and go make something else remarkable.

2) You’ll likely make a lot more things that are just “okay.” And that’s okay. You have to keep going until you cross the gap.

 

Stay Positive & More On This

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Nothing Is Common Anymore

Garth Beyer

They say common sense isn’t all that common. Agreed? Agreed.

Having plenty of young journalist friends, I’ve heard over and over that common knowledge isn’t all that common either.

Coincidentally, no one wants to feel that they lack common knowledge and as a result, they lie about what they know. It’s your responsibility to cover the basics anyway. As a teacher and a leader, you’re job isn’t filtration. Your job is to cast your net wide and pull as many up as possible.

 

Stay Positive & Here Fishy Fishy

 

Assorted Links

Garth Beyer

1. Robotic Rhetoric (read, this guy is remarkable)

2. Five minutes to a better job search in 2014 (read)

3. Hacking art education and the creative experience (watch)

4. How to leave your job for a freelance life (read)

5. Mistakes on the road to creative freedom (read)

6. A hand-drawn history of Facebook (watch)

You’re Not Thinking Of Everyone

Garth Beyer

It’s tough to lead. You’re busy prioritizing moments of your own life and planning each step of the business, constantly reevaluating, constantly making changes and updates.

It’s a lot to handle.

Stop a second. You’re forgetting someone?

Some of the worst counts of leadership failure that I have seen have come from leaders neglecting the priorities of their team. Not in the sense of what each team member needs to do for the business, but the moments of their own lives they are working on prioritizing.

If you came to lead your life and the business, you’ve really came to fail.

Great leaders help their team lead their own lives too. There’s a reason many refer to great leaders as sources of inspiration, encouragement and guidance.

 

Stay Positive & Are You Truly Leading

Two Reasons Why You Will Watch The Superbowl (And Commercials)

Garth Beyer

The first is to learn what works and what doesn’t in terms of creating a viral advertisement (or if you’re not a marketer, in hopes to see some incredible athletic feat).

Both of which are part of the second reason: It makes you feel connected.

Now you will have something to talk about. It’s what everyone else is talking about. It’s no surprise that the few days after the Super Bowl, the most connections are made. There are few events throughout the year that produce such a reaction.

So what are you doing tomorrow?

Curing a hangover or curating connections.

 

Stay Positive & Go Seahawks

Rest

Garth Beyer

I’m taking the day off from trying to stay ahead to relax with family. When was the last time you have?

We often decry companies that value long hours over time for one’s family. What we forget is that we are the leader of our own company. With or without employees, we are all self-employed.

 

Stay Positive & Don’t Forget The Other R