I'm not sure about you, but I get reflective this time of year. I know we can make plans in April and course correct ideas in August, but it's the end of a year and it's as good a time as any to take stalk and get clear. 2017 was a year for confusing elections, technological advances, straight talk about harrassment, and all the events in each of our lives.
As we look back on the year that has almost passed, let’s reflect on the most important element of our lives – our relationships with each other. Money comes and goes; jobs and homes change, but nothing can replace the important people in our lives, love, home, and family. For me, this was a year of challenges, successes, strong career work, and spending time with people I love.
Cheers to you and yours!
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Showing posts with label summer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label summer. Show all posts
December 14, 2017
September 7, 2015
Relationships Take Work not Labor
It’s Labor Day in North America, the day when most people take the day to breathe before the busy fall hits and kids go back to school and the stuff we pushed away all summer become realities again.
As we reflect on the summer that has almost passed and the upcoming fall, let’s reflect on the most important element of our lives – our relationships with each other. Money comes and goes. Jobs and homes change. But nothing can replace the important people in our lives in love, home, family, and work.
Cheers!
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Kneale Mann | People + Priority = Profit
New Book out in 2016 – Details soon!
As we reflect on the summer that has almost passed and the upcoming fall, let’s reflect on the most important element of our lives – our relationships with each other. Money comes and goes. Jobs and homes change. But nothing can replace the important people in our lives in love, home, family, and work.
Cheers!
__________________________________________________________________
Kneale Mann | People + Priority = Profit
New Book out in 2016 – Details soon!
July 27, 2015
Taking a Summer Attitude
We are in the middle of a heatwave in North America right now. I’m in Canada and temperatures are hovering around 30-35° celsius which is 86-95° fahrenheit. I live in a part of the world where it can dip down to minus 20-30 in the winter.
So people are out and about, enjoying the warmer climes and some well-deserved time away from work with their families and friends. Backyards are filled with the smell of barbecues and the streets are filled with people on their bikes taking in the vista.
Work Less Try Less?
I usually think about how to approach work in the summer from the perspective of taking advantage of your competition while they’re putting their feet up a bit but this year is different. I was thinking this week that perhaps I’ve had that backwards.
Maybe we need to take the summer approach throughout the year. Perhaps we are too focused on bottom lines and improved market shares when a more relaxed attitude will garner even better results. If we aren’t so grumpy all the time about profits and enjoy the work, the exact result we’ve been seeking will be realized.
Something to think about whilst you’re sipping that icy drink by the pool.
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Kneale Mann | People + Priority = Profit
So people are out and about, enjoying the warmer climes and some well-deserved time away from work with their families and friends. Backyards are filled with the smell of barbecues and the streets are filled with people on their bikes taking in the vista.
Work Less Try Less?
I usually think about how to approach work in the summer from the perspective of taking advantage of your competition while they’re putting their feet up a bit but this year is different. I was thinking this week that perhaps I’ve had that backwards.
Maybe we need to take the summer approach throughout the year. Perhaps we are too focused on bottom lines and improved market shares when a more relaxed attitude will garner even better results. If we aren’t so grumpy all the time about profits and enjoy the work, the exact result we’ve been seeking will be realized.
Something to think about whilst you’re sipping that icy drink by the pool.
__________________________________________________________________
Kneale Mann | People + Priority = Profit
June 8, 2012
Your Summer Business Strategy
If you live in the western hemisphere, you've been enjoying the warmer temps for a month or more and summer officially begins in a couple of weeks. So it's only natural to want to slow down at this time of year. A growing trend is the remote office approach. I was on a conference call this week with members of a client's company from around the world. It didn't matter if any of us was in an office, we accomplished a lot. With wireless, gadgets, wi-fi, webinars, telepressence, live meeting, email, phones, and many other solutions, there is no reason we need to sit at an assigned desk or in a meeting room every day.
Remove the Office Walls
I was speaking with a colleague a couple of weeks ago and the number one reason she moved companies recently was because her previous "boss" insisted everyone was in the office at all times. He didn't trust his team if he couldn't see them. How sad. Relax the reins and you will be surprised how ideas begin to flow. Let your team fly, let them out of the routine, and they will enjoy their work even more.
And when the weather begins to cool and you've taken some needed vacation time, you can keep this more relaxed workflow model. If you haven't tried it, you will be quite surprised how people will appreciate the freedom to think and create their best work in a way that best suits their process.
Your busy mind and your team will thank you.
Kneale Mann
poemsforkush
September 6, 2011
Call Me In September
Let's Do That Later
It begins with the usual signs. Traffic is a bit more congested on the way to the office in the morning. Ah yes, school is back and the unofficial end of summer is upon us. Depending on your region or level, school goes back on different dates but school is back for everyone as of now. The dog days of summer will soon be replaced by turning leaves and cooler temperatures if you live in a part of the world like I do where four distinct seasons is normal.
Call me in September. Let’s do that after the holidays. Once summer is over we’ll get back to that. We’ve all used them. The kids are back to school, summer vacations are over and we have four months left in the year. I am in no hurry to see or speak of snow (as we get here) but this is more about our focus on what we say we want to do versus what we will actually do to accomplish it.
September is a month of transition and rites of passage. It is a time to remember school summers of yore or the one that just passed. It is the month that turns summer into autumn and projects into deadlines.
As the Halloween displays begin to crop up in stores (I know!) we see a lot more people on the roads and while we drink the last few drops of nice weather let’s have a look at all the stuff we said we wanted to get to in September.
Are You Ready?
Kneale Mann
image credit: toastmasters
Call me in September. Let’s do that after the holidays. Once summer is over we’ll get back to that. We’ve all used them. The kids are back to school, summer vacations are over and we have four months left in the year. I am in no hurry to see or speak of snow (as we get here) but this is more about our focus on what we say we want to do versus what we will actually do to accomplish it.
September is a month of transition and rites of passage. It is a time to remember school summers of yore or the one that just passed. It is the month that turns summer into autumn and projects into deadlines.
As the Halloween displays begin to crop up in stores (I know!) we see a lot more people on the roads and while we drink the last few drops of nice weather let’s have a look at all the stuff we said we wanted to get to in September.
Are You Ready?
Kneale Mann
image credit: toastmasters
June 23, 2011
Summer Business: It’s That Time of Year
Out of the Office and Not Checking Email
Flowers blooming, trees full, sun shining, if you live in colder climes then you are enjoying some warmer temperatures, ah yes, it’s time to just enjoy life for a bit. For two decades I used to be the martyr who would work on through while others took time to enjoy the weather and family. I’d often get praise from the boss and little else. After missing four seasons of golf the biggest fool in the organization was easy to find. The accolades are nice, the time never returns.
Time away from the endless content and busy work is imperative. More than a few times I have seen people write about the fact their Klout score went down or they lost blog subscribers because they took a vacation. Who cares! It's not important. You and keeping your sanity is the priority.
We all need to recharge and remember what all this work is for and it’s not simply to do more work. If you have kids, there is a very real reminder that summer is here. If you work from home those reminders can affect your ability to get anything accomplished.
Business Could Slow Down Too Much
This is not just common with the self-employed, it happens in large enterprise as well. You adopt summer hours, a casual dress code and there are simply less people around because of rotating vacations. You discovered renewed interest in the other important parts of life and suddenly the workplace doesn’t seem so daunting.
The social web is a great way to keep the lines of communication open and you don’t need to be sitting at your desk to accomplish that. And perhaps this summer is a chance for you to experiment and learn how the digital world can in fact enhance your business offering. Channels and technology can allow us to continue doing business no matter where we are with others doing the same.
Perhaps while your competitors have their hands off the wheel, this is the time to gain more ground?
Kneale Mann
image credit: maoyang
Time away from the endless content and busy work is imperative. More than a few times I have seen people write about the fact their Klout score went down or they lost blog subscribers because they took a vacation. Who cares! It's not important. You and keeping your sanity is the priority.
We all need to recharge and remember what all this work is for and it’s not simply to do more work. If you have kids, there is a very real reminder that summer is here. If you work from home those reminders can affect your ability to get anything accomplished.
Business Could Slow Down Too Much
This is not just common with the self-employed, it happens in large enterprise as well. You adopt summer hours, a casual dress code and there are simply less people around because of rotating vacations. You discovered renewed interest in the other important parts of life and suddenly the workplace doesn’t seem so daunting.
The social web is a great way to keep the lines of communication open and you don’t need to be sitting at your desk to accomplish that. And perhaps this summer is a chance for you to experiment and learn how the digital world can in fact enhance your business offering. Channels and technology can allow us to continue doing business no matter where we are with others doing the same.
Perhaps while your competitors have their hands off the wheel, this is the time to gain more ground?
Kneale Mann
image credit: maoyang
July 7, 2010
Business in Summer
It happens every year.
For most people, it begins to creep in around the time the kids are out of school for the year.
But it may be something that stems back to when we were in school. You had the entire summer off.
No school, no homework, no responsibilities.
If you live in a climate where there are three or four distinct seasons, summer time is when things get a little bit lazier.
All Work and No Play...
Shirt sleeves shorten, patio meetings increase and everyone seems a bit more calm. The desire to hammer 10-12 hour days isn’t as common and that’s okay, it’s summer!
Take your time off. Enjoy family and friends while the weather is nice. Go to barbecues and functions. Eat yummy food and enjoy cold beverages. It’s summer, after all.
But How Does Summer Affect Your Business?
The 'summer hours' model is quite common. Casual Fridays turn in to long Noon hour lunches and disbursement of team members to an early weekend. Summer begs for time outside and a more restful pace.
It’s okay, your competition is doing the same. Clients don’t want you around as much because they too are trying to steal away as much sunshine and warm temps as they possibly can.
But just for a moment, imagine how much your business would grow if you stepped it up just 10% from summer mode and took the work hard-play hard approach.
Could you see the benefits of giving that a try?
@knealemann
Helping you integrate all you do with all you do.
photo credit: stefaanvercamer
For most people, it begins to creep in around the time the kids are out of school for the year. But it may be something that stems back to when we were in school. You had the entire summer off.
No school, no homework, no responsibilities.
If you live in a climate where there are three or four distinct seasons, summer time is when things get a little bit lazier.
All Work and No Play...
Shirt sleeves shorten, patio meetings increase and everyone seems a bit more calm. The desire to hammer 10-12 hour days isn’t as common and that’s okay, it’s summer!
Take your time off. Enjoy family and friends while the weather is nice. Go to barbecues and functions. Eat yummy food and enjoy cold beverages. It’s summer, after all.
But How Does Summer Affect Your Business?
The 'summer hours' model is quite common. Casual Fridays turn in to long Noon hour lunches and disbursement of team members to an early weekend. Summer begs for time outside and a more restful pace.
It’s okay, your competition is doing the same. Clients don’t want you around as much because they too are trying to steal away as much sunshine and warm temps as they possibly can.
But just for a moment, imagine how much your business would grow if you stepped it up just 10% from summer mode and took the work hard-play hard approach.
Could you see the benefits of giving that a try?
@knealemann
Helping you integrate all you do with all you do.
photo credit: stefaanvercamer
August 1, 2009
Life Is But An Instant
Ah Summertime! There are readers of this space all over the world so I won’t assume it is summer where you are or your summer experience is the same as those in my part of the world.
We've had a lot of unsettled weather this year. Rain virtually every day since April. But it's summer and I ain't complainin'!
The Expectations of the Season
This all has to do with a quieter simpler time when the sun burns the morning dew and shorts are the preferred garment. Where complaining about the heat is secretly enjoyed because of the secure knowledge that snow is coming too soon enough.
Summertime is reserved for time off and families, playing golf and afternoon naps. It’s that sacred time of year – especially if you live in a four season climate - where winter comes only too quickly. April through October are the months for living.
July 2009 Won't Be Forgotten
On July 6, a colleague I knew for more than 20 years took his own life. The shock will never subside. In the wake of this horrific unthinkable event have been countless rekindled relationships. Is it fate that someone’s life is cut short and people are brought back together? Is it meant to be? I can’t get my head around this one.
Then this past Friday, a friend found out that someone he knew passed away suddenly at the tender age of 27.
What Is The Lesson Learned?
I think it is to stop complaining about the rain or the cold or the money or the stuff that is simply not important and focus on each other.
August is here, enjoy every last second of it with the people you enjoy.
@knealemann
Let’s create experiences, not campaigns.
image credit: farm2.static.flickr.com
