The Corporate Woman

I admit to fear and to worry and to doubt.  I am fortunate in these times of fear and uncertainty, where many are suffering the most dramatic and awful change of their lives.  I am thankful, every day, for what I have:  my good health (and health insurance), my loved ones (and their good health), my great job (that I am lucky to love) and the basics we all need (food, shelter, etc…).  My heart goes out to those who are suffering because I remember earlier days where a roof over my head was uncertain, not much food (so thankful for free school lunch programs) and no health insurance (or money for much needed medicines, like my asthma inhaler).  I remember and my heart cries out for them.

What I wonder about is the thread of small, angry voices I hear on the web.  Why?  Is it fear that causes some to rant and say others deserve such awful reversals of fortune?  Is it spite or small mindedness?  Self-righteousness and smug insensitivity?  I guess I just don’t get it.  Yes, some are in their current situations due to unwise choices.  I don’t know about you but I’ve made more than a few “unwise choices” in my life and had to live with those consequences.  This doesn’t mean that I don’t feel for them though.  It doesn’t mean that I take pleasure or feel smug about their situation.  I know I am not alone in this because I read and hear those voices too – the wondering ones who feel empathy and are thankful for what they have.

Each day, I will live in joy (for my good fortune) and fear (that it might somehow go awry) and empathy (for those who have lost so much).  I suspect, this is how my year will go.  How about you?

Tags: Change, Endurance, Fear, Spirit

The business planning cycle I have gotten used to seems to be one of good intentions but just slightly off.  I have had the good fortune to see this planning cycle work the same at more than one company.  I ask myself this (and you, of course) – is this cycle a necessity or can it be successfully improved upon?  Here’s the one I mean – it starts with budget time (where you hope you have a solid long range strategy to lean on).  It’s approximately mid-summer.  Now, for some it actually starts a bit sooner or a bit later but I picked a mean.  You haven’t solidified your plan for the next year yet but you have the framework, so you can put together the money.  Then year end hits (for those of you on the calendar fiscal year, which is quite a lot of you) and everyone is focused on that.  Come January, you hope to have a finalized budget and plan for the year.  That is always the goal.  It’s part of why you start the budget cycle early, right?  But how many of you make it to the goal line of early January?  Part of that is because you need to see how year end close went but there are often other factors that get in the way.  So you may not have a final plan and budget until February or even March.  It’s a crazy cycle – shampoo, rinse, repeat!  Every year this happens, everywhere I work or where my friends and colleagues work, it tends to happen.  Does it work better where you are?

Tags: Balance, Change, Leadership, Work

I recently met a great social media expert and interesting guy (who I now follow on Twitter).  Anyway, he recently wrote a great blog about how he does his annual goals and I really liked his approach.  It’s memorable and thought provoking.  http://www.chrisbrogan.com/your-3-goals-for-2009/  He talks about finding three words that represent your filter, your purpose, your goals for the year – so here are my three words:

1) Breathe – this year, I will breathe better, it is my health goal – I will do what it takes and I know what that is (ever had surgery for a deviated septum?  Then you know the pain of which I speak.)

2) Pocket – I always think of time in carved out sections now.  Probably because I have been trained in the corporate view of time in half hour or hour increments.  But this year, I will make more small pockets of time for those I care about.  Pick up the phone for just a few minutes, play a game with Samantha, go to lunch with Shawn – that kind of thing.

3) Fearless – I love that question, “What would you do if you knew you could not fail?” So that is going to be my filter, my gut check for my decisions this year.  I may not change all of my choices based on that but I will know more about why I make the choices I do.  I am going to try to fear less in 2009. 

My three words for 2009.  Let’s see how I do with this, shall we?  Stay tuned and I will let you know.

Tags: Change, Goals

The Tea Fire here in SB is finally under control (I call it at 80% – I know that’s not a 100% but that is pretty darn good compared to completely uncontrolled).  I don’t know about others, but I struggled with how to feel all weekend.  On the one hand I felt so happy that we didn’t end up having to evacuate, much less lose our home.  On the other hand, I felt so awful for those who did lose their homes (no lives lost, fortunately) and I ended up sneezing and wheezing all weekend from allergies to the air quality, which added a layer of yuck to the whole thing.  It was a crazy surreal weekend, filled with thoughts like… is it okay if I decide we will still go out to eat this weekend, like we do as a family just about every weekend?  And yes, we did go out to eat.   And we saw a lot of others do the same but there was more greetings and “is your home safe?  I am so glad to see you!” even from the staff.  What amazing grace and strength we have as human beings, what wonderful small tales will go untold during this tragedy.   So I can embrace the feel good and feel bad at the same time.  Guess that just makes me human (-:

Tags: Change, Family, Health

Earlier this year, I talked about it being time for change – how do you decide?  How do you know it’s time?  Well, my family and I decided it was time when an opportunity to go work for Citrix Online came open in my field.  What a great company, really smart and talented people and a great desire for being ever more customer focused.  My family loves living in beautiful Santa Barbara vs. living north of Seattle in Bothell.  Change like this often feels like a leap of faith - you weigh your options, check your gut, agonize with friends and family (okay, maybe that last one is only me) and then decide.  You really don’t know until you actually make the choice though, do you?

Well, this choice lets me know that 20/20 hindsight is calling this a great choice.   More to come on the questions of customer loyalty and driving improvements in customer experience in the next blog.

Take care and stay tuned!

Tags: Authenticity, Change, Family, Self-Clarity

My mother passed away on Friday.  I feel sad but also happy and at peace.  You see, she has been terribly ill for a very long time and we who loved her have watched her decline in an anxious miasma of sadness and helplessness.  The thought that continues to reverberate through my brain is that she isn’t hurting anymore.  For the first time in a very long time, her life is not defined by pain. 

It has made me think a great deal about the nature of pain (great and small) and what we choose to endure.  My mother often talked about her reasons for fighting to stay in this life, despite the pain.  She was quite clear on that.  And I wonder, what does it take to have that clarity regarding other choices in our lives?  What helps us to decide that this is an acceptable situation and that is not? 

I am proud of my mother for the fight she put up and for her strength to stop fighting when she chose her time.  I miss her.  She will always be a part of me and I am glad to carry those lessons in my heart and my life.  I am happy that she knew, always, not just at the end, how much she means to me and how much I love her.  How fortunate I am.  That’s a thought to remember and makes the pain of her loss somehow less. 

 For those of you have expressed your condolences, thank you.

Tags: Authenticity, Change, Family, Self-Clarity

The importance of communication in leading a successful change effort cannot be overestimated.  I find myself pondering that element while participating in a major change initiative at work.  It is difficult, in our busy day-to-day world, to remember that others are not mind-readers - there is not instantaneous knowledge transfer.  Therefore, what you know is not necessarily known to others.  So how do you, as a leader, remember to communicate to the broader audience? How many of us build a formal communication element into our planning process that enables us to segregate people into communication audience categories and follow up diligently throughout the change?  Based on my experience this is a key element of employee dissatisfaction, when done poorly.  And what a shame, because so many initiatives might be more successful had effective communication happened in a timely manner.

Tags: Change, Communication, Leadership