Posts Tagged with Multidisciplinary

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Six Ways To Manage Your Multiple Interests

Are you a multipotentialite? If so, then you know that having multiple interests adds variety and meaning to each day.  These interests can range from music, interior design projects, a stamp collection, history or photography.  Multiple interests aren’t just for the artsy types. Anyone can have multiple interests including people with traditional careers such as doctors, lawyers or engineers.  It is just a matter of recognizing these interests and finding a way to incorporate them in your life.

So how do you make that happen? Being true to yourself and ensuring these interest are present in your life can be challenging. Here are some considerations and strategies to get the fulfillment you need:

1. Manage and prioritize your time.  This is key if your interests aren’t part of your day-to-day via a career, job, vocation etc.  Make sure to prioritize time for yourself that will allow you to pursue your interests.  For example, you may need to pass on the impromptu happy hour after work if that means missing your painting class.

2. Schedule your interests. If you have multiple interests, you can allocate time for each during the course of the week. Schedule time on Monday for running, on Tuesday for tutoring and on Wednesday for learning French.  A predictable cadence will help keep you accountable.  Set up reminders if you need to!

3. Designate different locations. If you’re transitioning from one interest to another, it helps to change your location. This will help you mentally prepare so when you step into the garage, your brain knows you’re getting ready to build the bookshelf.

4. Involve others. Your interests are personal but depending on what they are, you may be able to do them with others or with an organization that has the same focus. For example, you can learn Spanish alone or you can participate in a weekly coffee hour on Saturdays to practice with others.

5. Distinguish been fleeting and long-term interests. You’ll outgrow some interests and that’s OK. Others will be intrinsic to who you are, last a lifetime, and lead to greater opportunities. Learn to tell the difference between what’s a fad and long-lasting so you know when to pivot and where to devote more focus.

6. Be flexible. As things change, including your list of interests, be adaptable and flexible.  The more you learn and discover, new interests will come your way and you’ll want to have enough space to explore them.

Exploring multiple interests is possible when you manage your time effectively and get organized.  Prioritize designated time as you do with anything else that is important to you. Jim Rohn said it best:

If you really want to do something, you‘ll find a way. If you don’t, you‘ll find an excuse.

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Are you a multipotentialite? How do you manage your multiple interests?  Do you use different strategies than the suggestions above?  I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!

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Align Your Team’s Thinking Style To Improve Performance

The ability to work together and collaborate effectively has a big impact on how much teams accomplish.  This has traditionally been assessed by the output of the team which is the combined contributions of the individual team members via their assigned tasks. Inherently, the evaluation of team performance has been based on what individual team members do.

In What Kind of Thinker Are You?, Mark Bonchek and Elisa Steele argue that it is “how teams think together that most determines their performance.” They propose that similar to how team members today “have assigned doing roles, there should also be thinking roles.”

Their three-step method entails first identifying the “focus on your thinking in a particular context or setting” such as ideas, process, action or relationships. As an example, if you and your friends are planning a trip, do you generate ideas of places to visit, plan the itinerary, take action to book the flight or call up friends in Paris to let them know you’re coming? The next step is to observe if your orientation in that setting leans toward the big picture or the details. Lastly, combine these two dimensions to see your thinking style.

This exercise is good to help us identify our gaps.  Chances are, we don’t have all of the thinking styles above covered on our own.  Make note of where you stop short.  Is it a recurring theme in your work? This presents an opportunity for us to identify team members who compliment us.

I’ve worked with teams that were formed in this way where each person’s role is aligned with how they think. In one example, a product management team had an idea for a new service that would improve customer experience and generate additional revenue for the company. The initial two-person team outlined the new service as explorers and experts. They then added a project manager who was more planning and process-oriented and identified all the necessary milestones to make the new service a reality. Next, an extended team was put in place to drive and take action in functional areas such as operations, marketing, sales, training etc. Lastly the core product management team and project manager combined efforts to build relationships with supporters and strategic partners.  Ultimately, the service was launched successfully with the combined effort of individuals whose contributions aligned with their thinking style.

When we’re all operating in our zone, we get more done, are more effective and perform better. It makes sense to focus on our strengths and get help in areas where we’re not as strong.  When this is someone else’s strong point, it ends up being a win-win for the team. Richard Branson said it best:

Surround yourself with people who complement your weaknesses and share your passions — success will follow.

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Where do you fall on the chart above? Can you think of teams you were a part of that had an imbalance? What was the impact on team performance and morale? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!

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Cliff Notes From the Book on Life – Part 1

I still haven’t gotten my hands on the Book on Life so I don’t know how clearly it lays out all the things we need to know and
remember.  I suspect it doesn’t explicitly state that life isn’t always easy. Maybe that is written somewhere in fine print, hanging off the bottom of a random page, if it is in the book at all.

During honest, open and authentic conversations, you learn about the different things people are going through in life.  Each day we manage multiple aspects of our lives, and when we’re laser focused on the problem du jour, we easily neglect other areas.  I had some good conversations with friends recently and came away with some important takeaways across various aspects of life that are worth remembering.

One friend was traveling for work and contemplating career next steps and taking some time to catch up on the non-career aspects of life.  In a conference call with two friends, one had been thinking about his higher purpose in life because he doesn’t want to settle or live a life where he’s just going through the motions. The other friend questioned his authenticity as he assessed how his interests align to his higher education pursuits.  In another conversation, a friend shared her decision to move to a different city after being honest with herself about always wanting to and realizing this may be the best time.

The takeaways from these conversations were relevant and timely. They’re great reminders that we’re in the driver seat of our lives and own our choices and how we live our lives:

Be a complex, multi-faceted person. Being well-rounded and knowledgeable about different topics adds to your perspective, helps you generate new ideas and enhances how your critical-thinking skills.  You’re more interesting when you can contribute to any conversation and keep up no matter where it goes.

Think and wonder. Why else do we have a brain and the ability to think and process information? Questioning is healthy and you don’t need approval for the possibilities you envision.  Not everyone will stretch their imagination like you, so when people don’t get it, maybe it is just you!  And that’s OK! 🙂

Aspire for more in life.  You don’t need to settle. It is OK to be ambitious, strive and desire to have an impact. It is OK to be passionate about something in life and seek a higher purpose.  This requires a holistic approach to bring it all together for a fulfilling life.

Learn to balance.  Although you may have big aspirations, you have to figure out how to balance everything.  There’s only so much time in the day. You’ll have to balance accomplishing things, being present, being grateful, dreaming big, being practical etc.

Build your toolbox. What tools have you gathered along the way and continue to carry with you on your life journey? Think of all the advice, lessons you learned the hard way, “how to” information, skills, education, talent, and resources you have.  There’s always a need to step up your toolbox game so keep adding to it!

Don’t be another ______.  Whether that’s an employee number, a generic person filling a role, remaining unknown or unacknowledged, you don’t want to live a life where you feel replaceable.  It is OK to be dynamic and unique.  Set yourself apart by providing value and making a difference, not for recognition, but because you want to help others and have an impact.

Own your core.  Focus on and play to your strengths.  Don’t waste time battling with your weaknesses. There is someone who is amazing in that area so let them own it. Focus on what you’re great at and continue to improve in that area.

Be a better version of yourself. The only person you need to be better than is the person you were yesterday. So don’t worry about competing with others or seeking their approval.

Leverage the power of like-minded people. The energy, strength and inspiration from talking to and interacting with like-minded people is amazing. Use that to your advantage to tackle big goals. You don’t do everything yourself.

Make time and space for what’s important. Make time for your interests, family, friends or whatever else is important to you.  When you keep what’s important to you in your life, you’ll keep your momentum going.  This provides a safe space and rejuvenation to propel you forward.

Cross things off your bucket list. This first assumes you have a bucket list. But it isn’t enough to just have one. You need to actively cross things off over time. The good thing is you don’t always need a deadline but make sure you have a plan to get to it.

Be true to yourself. From time to time, ask yourself if you’re being true to yourself or if you’re being disingenuous.  You need to check. It is easy to go through the motions and not intentionally align actions with your overall goals. Do a check up periodically.

Be open to the unexpected.  It is great to have a plan. But sometimes, things go awry!  Life always has jokes. Give yourself a break and be flexible!  Switch things up, pivot as you need to and keep it moving!

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What are some of your favorite life takeaways?  Are any of the ones above on your list? What works for you?  I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!

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You Won’t Remember Your Graduation Speech But You’ll Remember 3 Key Takeaways

I always look forward to graduation season.  I enjoy inspiration experiences, stories and quotes and there’s never a shortage when spring rolls around.  Each graduation and commencement ceremony is filled with nuggets for graduates to add to their toolkit as they “commence” their new endeavors and journey.

This graduation season is particularly special. Not only do I get to enjoy the takeaways as an onlooker, but I got to sit with my fellow graduates from the class of 2016 and take in the speakers’ advice.  It is an amazing feeling with a mix of accomplishment, pride, excitement for “free” time again and readiness for next steps.

Each graduate has their own story.  And mine wasn’t perfect. Although I had a lofty goal, I didn’t have a tight plan that laid out exactly how I would manage school while working full-time with my clients and traveling each week. But the pieces came together with time (I will elaborate on how I did it in an upcoming post).

Here I am having done it! Master of Science in Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship with a concentration in Technology & Innovation Management, jointly delivered by Temple University’s Fox School of Business and College of Engineering.

Thanks to my support team – family, friends, mentors, colleagues. I couldn’t have done it without them.

As I sat through my ceremonies, I took notes of the inspirational words from our speakers. I wanted to capture what moved me in real-time and share these takeaways with others.

Here are the notes I captured:

Grad takeaways 1  Grad takeaways 2

Of all this great advice, there were a few that struck a cord and I want to elaborate on what they mean to me.

Here are my 3 favorite takeaways:

Success is never final and failure is never fatal.

When you reach a goal, you don’t stop.  When you don’t reach a goal, you don’t stop.  Our work is never complete.  No matter what happens, we have to keep moving forward.  No matter what life brings our way – whether it is ups or downs – we have to stay the course.  We have to remind ourselves that with each morning, we have an opportunity to start anew. We have a chance to do things better and try new approaches. This gives us new opportunities to redefine success as we go along.

Take more risk. Reflect more. Leave a legacy.

This is based on a study by Sociologist Tony Campolo where he asked 50 people over the age of 95 what they would do differently if they had to live life over again. These were the three responses that dominated – take more risk, reflect more, leave a legacy. Understandably people shy away from risk, but with risk comes more opportunities to create change and innovate.  By venturing into uncharted territory, we increase our chances of making an impact and although the ride may get bumpy, it will certainly be adventurous. With so much going on, it is easy to not take time for ourselves and reflect – to reflect on life and what we have to be grateful for.  I think this is important for our self-awareness, mindfulness and for being centered.  We won’t be here forever but what an honor it would be to leave something behind that is helpful to and benefits others. We can all be more conscious about what we can do today that will have a lasting impact.

As a leader, you may be the only Bible someone reads that day.

Being a leader comes with great responsibility.  Most of the conversation around leadership focuses on the leader and how she should lead.  But rarely do we focus on those being led and the impact someone’s leadership has on them. A leader has the ability to influence those around them and one big difference is in if they’re creating followers or the next generation of leaders.  There’s a lasting difference between each and it is worth the time for each leader to reflect on what their position means to others.

I’m looking forward to other graduations this season and soaking up the inspirational words from the speakers.

As I reflect on my own journey and the accomplishment of my fellow graduates, here is my personal takeaway:

When you want to do or pursue something that has intrinsic value and meaning to you, do it.

When you want to do or pursue something that has intrinsic value and meaning to you, do it. Ask God for guidance. Challenge the universe to work with you to make it all happen. Line up your support team. Get up every morning and do your part. Be grateful and give thanks every night before you go to bed for getting through another day. Charge toward the finish line. Then celebrate …because putting in all this work non-stop is exhausting!

Congrats to my fellow 2016 graduates!  I would love to hear about your journey and the advice from your graduation speeches that moved you the most.

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