4 Steps to Make Your Good Idea Great

Insights from a creative who executes.

We’ve all had ideas, but how do you take a good idea and make it great? Jim Collins has some thoughts about good to great, and so do I. Having spent years (well decades) working with ideas and teams of people, there are four steps I practice to help fledgling ideas take flight. Each step includes personal insights and a story snapshot from practical experience. If you want to read a superb book on making your ideas memorable, I highly recommend the book “Made to Stick” by brother authors Chip and Dan Heath. My insights blend design thinking, practical experience, and thoughts from wise authors, like the Heath brothers.

four steps I practice:

1. Start with empathy.
2. Create and test your hypothesis.
3. Focus your idea.
4. Be remarkable.

Begin with the most important step first, “start with empathy.” Grounding yourself or your team in the heart of the problem and understanding it from the user viewpoint is essential in creating the best possible solutions. “It starts with empathy” is my first corporate value and should be your first step as well.

1. Start with empathy. The first step in wondering what to do with your idea is to start with empathy. If an idea pops up in your head, it’s just an idea. They come and go, and we rarely take action on them. Don’t be afraid to talk to people about your ideas. Remember, it’s just an idea at this point, and if you want to make it a good idea, you need input. Lots of input. And if you want to make it a great idea, your original thinking will pivot and iterate into an even better solution.

Combining your idea with empathy is the secret ingredient if you are willing to do the work. Empathy is the act of talking to stakeholders, directly and indirectly, involved with a problem. After actively listening to dozens (or preferably hundreds) of folks about your idea, your insights build, and what the problem is you’re solving may actually shift. Your new understanding helps you build a better (and more correct) solution. Whether you hold a design charrette to gain community insights for designing a new public space, poll users, or sit down for coffee with community members to identify problems, empathy is the needed ingredient. Once you identify and include people already involved in the problem your idea addresses, the more likely it is they’ll see themselves in the solution. And the better your solution will be!

Why is this step so often overlooked or skipped? Sadly, the reality is that it simply takes time and effort. And people often think their idea is THE solution without finding out how users feel. Once you have gained empathy, then it’s time to formulate your hypothesis.

Story Snapshot: The 1991 Batavia design charrette to improve Batavia, IL volunteerism drew 100 residents to re-imagine the future. One problem the charrette identified was the need to transform blighted riverfront property. A tangential problem was the lack of community gathering space. These two problems conveniently collided to create a unique solution: the formation of the Batavia Riverwalk project. The Fox River linear park in downtown Batavia was designed and built over eight years using volunteer fundraising and labor, transforming underutilized riverfront property into a signature park. The result? A Batavia Riverwalk that won the State of Illinois’ Hometown Award for Volunteerism and today stands as Batavia’s community gather space and source of pride.

2. Create and test your hypothesis. Start by writing down a hypothesis (based on empathy gained in Step 1). Then test your hypothesis. Your research needs to involve potential users or customers. Ask them questions about how they currently deal with the problem and what they’d like to see in a solution. Then ask more and more stakeholders of different demographics to make sure the evolving solution you are building from your idea is the one that will be used and adopted.

When stakeholders are asked and included, a groundswell effect and adoption of the solution are much more likely. And, besides, people like to be asked and included, don’t you? If you show up and dish out your solution to their problem without doing this step, your idea will likely not be well received or survive to the next step.

Story Snapshot: Mentoring is both a joy and a test of patience for me. Working with entrepreneurship students of all ages, it amazes me how many do not want to do the research to a) identify the competition; b) locate, talk to people involved with the problem; and c) get reactions to their prototype solution. Their idea is that their solution to the problem is the first one ever conceived is typical. Many novice entrepreneurs want to dish out their solution and skip the empathy and hypothesis testing steps. Skipping these steps is a common flaw, which, funny enough, some novice adult entrepreneurs and company intrapreneurs do as well. Millions of dollars and untold hours are wasted every year with new “widgets” and programs introduced with “how do you like it?” All too often, customers respond (or think to themselves), “Why didn’t you ask me for input during the design process?”

3. Focus your idea. We all know KISS (Keep it Simple Stupid), but simplicity is indeed harder than it sounds. Distilling your idea down to the bare essence is brutally hard because it means focusing on your core offering. Being concrete is key to your solution. You can’t be everything to everybody, so figure out which lane is yours and how to reach your customer. If ideas are too esoteric, they lend themselves to creative interpretation. If your solution is unfocused, it will be hard for customers to rally around (or for). So, if you get this far in the evolution of your idea, research confirms your hypothesis, and you’re clear on your solution, now it’s time to launch.

Story Snapshot: A young entrepreneur coming out of college had an idea to team up with some college classmates and start a company. The team had similar skills and enthusiastically decided what their business was (based on their skills). They developed and launched a website, printed up business cards, and waited. Not much business came their way. Why? Because they didn’t start from a place of empathy, didn’t research their competition, didn’t know who their target market was, and didn’t develop a team with diverse skills needed in business (who was making sales?). They had a great product and a creative team but could not stay in business long because they just executed their solution without testing their hypothesis or doing the hard homework.

4. Make it remarkable. Thinking you can simply hang out your shingle or launch a website and expect orders and customers to roll in is unrealistic. The last step of launching your idea is to make it memorable. Chip and Dan Heath recommend: “make it unexpected.” You know the memorable businesses, organizations, and events you support, so figure out how to be one.

Story Snapshot: One of my favorite gorilla marketing ideas was executed while serving as a downtown manager promoting the Halloween-themed festival called BatFest. A couple of weeks before BatFest, I started spray-chalking bat graphics (using a stencil) throughout our downtown on windows and sidewalks. As the event drew closer, more bats appeared, and more buzz was created throughout the town. Residents wondered who was creating the art for what purpose. The idea to promote the festival met the event marketing goals of being low cost, memorable, and creating buzz throughout town.

Living through a pandemic has given us all space and time to think. What idea is ruminating inside your head? Get it out by starting with empathy, creating and testing your hypothesis, focusing your solution, and being remarkable. Ideas are common. And because those of us willing to do the work of making good ideas great are few, your chances are exponentially better when you follow these four steps. In challenging times, sometimes the best ideas emerge out of necessity. Will you act on those or let them pass? Maybe the worst of times is the best time to roll up your sleeves and get started.

Are You Making Or Following Tracks?

A February polar vortex in Chicago paired with substantial snowfalls forced my outside activities inside for a few weeks. While hibernating, I longed to be outside, to unplug and to let my mind wander. You see the outdoors is an elixir, secret sauce and white space for my thoughts and ideas to roam and connect. Nature, my creativity playground, was hijacked temporarily by a frigid winter spell.

And then it happened. The cold snap moved on, leaving behind a veritable winter wonderland - a time-sensitive, frozen playground begging for exploration and expedition. My husband reserved a prime time slot at the Morton Arboretum, which required advanced preparation. After layering up performance clothing and packing snacks, it was time to gear up. I eagerly located our snowshoes and pulled out two decade-old specialized snowshoeing boots from the corner coat closet. Clearing away the dust bunnies and slipping on the knee-high boots, I went in search of hiking poles that were never found. Preparation for adventures is indeed an important first step.

First Outing:  Morton Arboretum. Strapping on my show shoes, the vast white canvas awaited. Like an artist with paints and a brush, a decision of where to place the first strokes needed to be made. Make our own tracks or follow others?  I started out making my own tracks, quickly assessing snow conditions and my personal ability to maintain that choice. Fresh snow means infinite possibilities. Following other tracks has its own challenges, as footwear imprints differ in size and depth, as well as stride length, depending on the previous trekker. Tracks mean you follow and also translate to a route that is easier and faster. Less than five minutes into my “make tracks” choice, I opted to find and join other tracks, leveraging the snow pack to lengthen the amount of time for our adventure before I ran out of personal gas. For the most part, my husband and I found and followed other tracks through the woods, around ponds, up hills and across bridges. The benefits: an easier trek, but I found I had to pause in order to look up at the scenery because I was too busy staring down at my feet to follow in tracks. We snowshoed a curvy loop out and back and explored areas of the park that are not normally open when you are advised to “stay on the path” to avoid trampling nature.  But under a foot of snow, nature had a protective blanket that allowed us to temporarily wander off designated paths. Our hour-long trek was gratifying. We enjoyed a solid level of exercise and our souls were rejuvenated by the sunny warmish conditions. A perfect chocolate brownie at the visitor’s center café was just the right cherry on top!

Second outing: Peck Farm. Two days later with temperatures on the rise and snow feeling its melt, I carved out a weekday hour to snowshoe, this time by myself. With snowshoes and supplies already in the trunk, the blank expanse of tundra awaited my arrival. Geared up, once again I found myself having to make a conscious decision – make tracks or follow them?  At the start of my trek I surveyed the landscape, spotting boot prints and nicely manicured cross county ski tracks, but no snowshoe tracks.  Unwritten etiquette is to not use the cross county tracks, carefully groomed by previous skiers. Future skiers would not be happy with me if I wrecked their grooves with snowshoe imprints. Instead, I decided to walk parallel to their path off to the side, headed towards the lake.  Clomping through the snow, now melting due to weather nearing the 40-degree mark, the weight of each step was measured. Soaking in the open space, I reveled in the auditory delights of snow packed crunching sounds.  Creator and composer of nature sounds that only snow and steps can produce. The splendid winter sounds made with each step were like a Zen prayer to me as I set out with an old grain silo in sight.  

The feeling of being able to go anywhere can be daunting or exhilarating, but for me it was just the open space my brain needed to weave together loose ends milling around my brain. The cross county tracks veered right, following an established walking path. Pausing, my mind drew an imaginary line to the intended destination, my feet followed alongside cross-country tracks. About one hundred yards into my decision to deviate away from the path, I stopped in my tracks to survey unfamiliar surroundings.  A weird, danger feeling washed over me as I realized I might be walking over wetlands or a pond with ice that could give way. Since this was a park I was not intimately familiar with, the white expanse covering up the landscape below left me questioning a “make tracks” decision. Surveying my surroundings for clues, I spotted a small oak tree, a sign that I probably wasn’t tromping over water.

A few hundred yards later I reached my destination:  the lake, frozen and snow covered, looking like everything else. I collapsed on a bench, letting the sunshine stream over and recharge me. Just sitting still and allowing nature’s calm to wash over me was just the therapy needed. It was during this meditative sit that I realization that the decision to make or follow tracks during our lives is persistent. That thought suddenly shifted to my consciousness, where the case for each choice was made.

Making tracks:  go wherever you want; higher risk; (what’s under the snow?) ability to enjoy and scan the environment by looking ahead (eyes up); option to follow a whim or instinct over fresh snow; DIY adventure; space for creativity; more intense level of exercise.

Following tracks:  faster; easier; exert less energy; spend lots of time looking down at your feet to match the tracks; “follow the crowd” mentality; no choice of direction or where you might end up as your final destination.

After I sat for a while to reflect on this revelation, reality nudged me that it was time to head back to the car. Which choice do you think I made on the way back?  Did I make new tracks or follow my own tracks back to the car?  A solid answer could also be, “it depends.” And you’d be right. 

If time and my energy level were of no consequence, I would have made new tracks and explored other areas of the park. But, glancing at my watch, I needed to get to a 10:00 appointment, so chose to follow my own tracks back to the car.  It was the right decision; the route was safe and I’d get back more efficiently.  Yes, both routes were gratifying in their own way and each had their benefits. On most days I tend to side with downhill skier, Picabo Street, “I’m not following anybody’s tracks, I’m making my own, baby.”

What tracks are you gearing up for to make or follow?  Whatever and wherever your trail is, hike on!  

Kindness Always Matters: #100daysofintentionalkindness

One thing that doesn’t go out of style is kindness. It doesn’t matter which political party is in office, or what month or day of the year it is. Looking at the (wo) man in the mirror, kindness may need to start with focusing on you. Everything “2020” has been tough for all of us. But don’t get stuck there. Showing kindness to others may be just what you need to get you “unstuck.” Your one act can start radiating outwards to inspire others. Whether planned or a RAOK (Random Acts of Kindness), doing something nice for someone else can be the super spreader variant we all need right about: spreading joy.

My morning prayer and meditation included the passage from Hearts on Fire by Jesuit, Leo Rock, SJ.  A stanza from “An Examination of My Use of Time” stood out for me:

“By concern over what’s in it for me,

rather than what’s in me

for it.”

Flipping our perspective allows us to move from serving me to serving we. Allows us to move from dwelling in what is, to paying it forward. Don’t get me wrong, our self-survival instincts are fierce (do I have enough toilet paper and Lysol wipes?) Though once you start connecting to other through kindness, you’ll realize how much we need each other for human survival and happiness. And how rewarding it is to your soul.

Sometimes we don’t realize the impact of one small act of kindness we do for others. Even simple acts can measure up big in someone’s eyes. Like checking in on an elderly neighbor or friend, a phone call, placing a painted rock by someone’s doorstep, sending a note in the mail or sharing a good book in a Little Free Library.

Or step up a bit more and think about those who have influenced you or taken care of you or a loved one and show them they matter. Drop off a note of thanks or send a basket to the hospital nurses who took care of you or a family member, tip $20 for a cup of coffee at your favorite small business to help them through COVID or pay for the person in back of you in the drive-through line are just a few examples. Or if you are a business, help make kindness accessible like Daddio’s Diner in downtown Batavia, giving people a concrete way to $pay it forward to someone.

As it is nearly February, I’ll share a story about my annual ritual of sending Valentines. Some may view Valentine’s Day as a “Hallmark holiday,” however I look at it as a focused opportunity to spread kindness. Even in middle age, I still like delivering, sending, and receiving Valentines. Though I don’t cover an old shoe box with construction paper and cut a slot in the top of it for deposits, I do get excited about my ritual. January find me scouring stores for fun ways to share kindness and love with my family and friends (before all the elementary parents’ clear the shelves). Yes, the kinds of branded Valentines you exchange in primary school are my go to as I’m craft challenged. Sometimes I’ll add conversation hearts, or chocolate hearts or some cool stickers or props to go with it. Not because it’s an overwhelmingly generous gift, but rather a way to say, “I’m thinking about you” and “I value our relationship.” This RAOK was performed with an elderly neighbor over 20 years ago and she showed up on my doorstep with tears in her eyes saying it was the first Valentine she had received in decades. One. Silly. Valentine.

kindness made by hand

As a mom and now a Mimi, I have always loved receiving hand-made Valentines. Here are some of my recent favorites.

What act of kindness can you perform to brighten someone’s day? If you are inspired to focus on kindness, I’m personally inviting you (in my newly minted role as a GWLF “Kindness Ambassador”) to join us in “100 Days of Kindness.” My brilliant friend, Maureen O’Brien was inspired with her business, Global Wisdom and Leadership Forum to be the source of light for this campaign. Click on this link join us in helping to create a kinder neighborhood, community and world.

 Won’t you join us spread kindness? #100daysofintentionalkindness

How to Survive This Winter With Just Two Words

Two Scandinavian words solidly reframe winter for me - Koselig and hygge. These words peaked my interest recently while reading the Forge article, “The Norwegian Philosophy of Thriving in Winter” by James Ware. The Norwegians call it “koselig” and in Denmark the neighboring term is “hygge.” Either way you name “it,” these words are the newest addition to my winter vocabulary. In hygee fashion, prepare a mug of your favorite beverage, slip on your fuzzy slippers, light a scented candle and nestle in a comfy space to read how to prepare for your winter ahead.

Koselig (pronounced “koohshlee”) is both a feeling and a mindset. Though not entirely translatable, it can be interpreted as “a shared, safe togetherness that comes from a feeling of warmth and safety.” Koselig has an English cousin you already know – the word, “cozy.” The koselig mindset focuses on connecting with others and spending time in nature (rather than dwelling on the cold darkness of winter). Creating physical spaces and experiences that draw people together is koeselig. A distant relative is forest bathing, or as the Japanese call it “shinrin-yoku,” that can help with stress, diabetes, blood pressure, anxiety, and more. Steeping in experiences that pull from nature and togetherness embody the Koselig feeling and flow into human relationships. Actions, particularly helping another person, can also be koselig.

Let’s create a koselig holiday scenario to get us in the mood. My Composition 101 teacher would call this flowery, but I prefer to think of it as “koeslig imagery.”

It’s late on Christmas Eve after the kids are tucked into bed. All the preparations are set; I savor the last sip of my hot-spiced cider and collapse into a love seat next to my husband. “Silent night” is softly playing in the next room and my attention is drawn to the patterns the tree lights cast dancing across the ceiling. The fireplace, now embers, glows and we just sit without having to speak to each other, relishing in the koselig we created together.

The term “hygge” (pronounced hue-guh) from Denmark focuses on the essence of one’s well being or contentment. It’s more about the feeling than the cause. Hygge can be translated as the “coziness of the soul.” Hygge embodies the small, everyday moments that make you feel warm and happy. For me it can be a smell, like cinnamon rolls coming out of the oven. Others find hygge in lighting a scented candle or slipping into a well-worn pair of jeans and a comfy sweatshirt. Hygge can also be defined by what it is lacking: the absence of the emotionally overwhelming or things that annoy you. That rules out quite a bit for me…. Maybe hygge is the not so secret ingredient of why Denmark routinely lands on or near the top of the World Happiness Report?

 Hygee and koselig seem related, yet are quite distinct. While hygge is more of an isolationist experience, koselig seeks to connect others to the feeing of coziness and sharing happiness. Other differences are that koselig happens more in places like nature or creative spaces and in the absence of technology, whereas hygee is more of a personal experience that kindles the soul. Koselig both fuels the person and creates community spirit and good will while hygee is more self-indulgent.  

As another Chicago winter looms, compounded by and woven within a Pandemic year, what better time is there to create coziness in our soul?  Having some Scandinavian ancestry (“Britta” is a Swedish name and so was my great grandmother Britta Mart), we Swedes are proud of our “hearty” nature. Growing up in Minnesota among many other Vikings fans, I took saunas, ice-skated outdoors, played endless hours in the snow and loved to sled and ski. Winter holds many of my favorite childhood memories and I continue to enjoy the beauty and calm that winter brings. Age is now incrementally claiming my abilities - downhill skis are replaced by snowshoes and ice skating is now enjoyed by watching others. I don’t mourn what is lost, but relish the koselig that can still be enjoyed. Yes, there are people who fear winter, snow and the cold and treat it as something to be avoided. On the contrary, winter is the season that both restores and completes me and now I better understand why.

 Research on the subject gives a positive nod to the notion of koselig. Stanford psychologist, Kari Leibowitz refers to her studies of the winter mindset in the town of Tromso Norway as a Fulbright scholar in 2015. The Polar Night extends from 11/21 – 1/21 (aka no real sun) in a city 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle. This setting would seem to be the logical epicenter of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), but instead Leibowitz’s research finds folks in Tromso think differently, seeing winter as “something to be enjoyed and not endured.” Winter, instead, is not a limiting time of the year, but one of mindfulness. Winter is a time to strengthen bonds and build intimacy among family, friends and seek light from within oneself. After all the isolation we’ve been through in 2020, we all should be beacons in 2021.

Norwegians don’t just survive their long winters they thrive in them. It’s energizing to view winter with a fresh perspective, one created by former generations of my ancestors through rituals and traditions that are still celebrated today. Perhaps this sheds even more light on celebrations like (St.) Lucia Day, held on December 13. If you aren’t familiar, Lucia is an ancient mythical figure with an enduring role as a bearer of light in the dark Swedish winters. Alongside Midsummer, the Lucia celebrations represent one of the foremost cultural traditions in Sweden, with their reference to life in the peasant communities of old: darkness and light, cold and warmth. Swedish tradition includes a crown of candles (lights) worn by a young girl as community sings in koselig, cutting the darkness with light:

 The night treads heavily
around yards and dwellings
In places unreached by sun,
the shadows brood
Into our dark house she comes,
bearing lighted candles,
Saint Lucia, Saint Lucia.

 As the sun continues to set earlier and the days are growing shorter, I’m sending you light and love to thrive this winter. May you adjust your mindset to find your hygge and create more koeslig to sustain you and yours in the days of long shadows ahead.

A New Addiction: Highpointing

What exactly is a “highpoint?” It is indeed a “best moment,” “best part,” “climax,” “the highlight” or the “high spot.” In the case of hiking, highpoints are actually all of the above, with a “high spot” closest to the real definition. “Highpointers” are people of all ages and backgrounds who seek out the highest (altitude) location in each country, state, or county. Depending on your ambition, highpointing can produce a hefty bucket list of peaks to climb. Yes, it’s actually a sport, a passion and a hobby all rolled up into one – a fever that has risen in my family over the past few years. And, to nobody’s surprise, there is also a Highpointer’s Club to join to learn more and feel a part of the growing movement. The graphic below is taken from their website and shows the locations of all the state highpoints, rating their difficulty.

A “benchmark marker” is a plaque secured on each highpoint, denoting the triangulated highpoint location as credentialed by the United States Geological Survey or other authority and includes the name of the highpoint and official altitude. Some highpoints have registries (books to document your arrival), some look like shrines, and some are just the medallion. If you are wondering, my husband has a collection of benchmark replicas from his highpoints. I have my most treasured marker from Mt. Elbert on my desk to remind me never to quit.

My husband, Steve has his list of his highpoints to conquer and I’ll be a tagalong for many of them. I found my limit at 14,433’ (see my blog, “Pushing Beyond” about climbing Colorado’s high point, Mt. Elbert, rated a 7/10 difficulty) a few years ago. Steve and I just experienced some beautiful lower state highpoints in Illinois and Wisconsin last week. We started with Eagle Mountain, rated 4/10, which was a 7-mile rocky and rooty hike in northern Minnesota near Grand Marais. The lushness that is Northern Minnesota is something to experience all in itself. The depth of the forests, parks, lakes and the extreme body of water, Lake Superior are to be taken in while planning your Minnesota high point experience. We didn’t leave enough time to explore all the nearby parks, only wading into Cascade Falls State Park to see the waterfalls, so are already planning a return trip when we have more time.

My highpoint count is up to five so far (rookie status): AZ (Wheeler Peak), CO (Mt. Elbert), MN (Eagle Mountain), WI (Timms Hill), and IL (Charles Mound) with Steve's at eight: adding in CA (Mt. Whitney), TX (Guadalupe Peak) and NH (Mt. Washington). There are many more highpoints to look forward to and to keep us busy, so I’ll add highpointing on our official list of “things to look forward to.” Our strategy is to knock off the hardest ones while we are “youngish” and in better shape. If I decide not to climb a highpoint, I’ll happily be on the support team back at base camp. A side note: Highpointing pairs nicely with our desire to visit all the National Parks (yet another bucket list). We decided that doing what we love while we can still do it is a priority, not letting an arbitrary stage of “retirement” dictate when to get started.

Interested and want to learn more? Visit the Highpointer’s Club website and also do your homework at Summit Post. If you are going all in, you may want to purchase a National Park Pass as well and if you are on Facebook “like” Highpointer’s Club to get some inside stories. My husband just ordered a National Parks map to chart our progress so I guess we are fully committed. I’ll end this blog with words we exchange on the trail when we are ready to proceed, hike on!

Looking For The Good From "It"

We are all weary from the bad “it” has created, encapsulating us in isolation, spreading illness and claiming death. Yes, the COVID undertow pulls us out daily and it seems easier to ride in on the negativity wave. But in the midst of our pandemic, have you tried looking for the good from “it?” Perhaps we need to buckle up our life vest, swim harder and shift our mindset.

Choice. It’s ours everyday, so this day I’ve decided to look beyond the frequently overwhelming bad to focus on the good of “it.” Sitting on my front porch, I can focus on things more easily. From my corner wicker chair, life has become a bit of a spectator’s sport; here’s what I’ve witnessed over the past four months. 

Seeing the good. My question to you is: Have you used this pause to see the good? I mean really “see” it? The kind of witnessing that a researcher would experience or ethnographer would chronicle, not just watching the daily news feed go by in an incomprehensible blur. Your ability to see is part of humanity’s chance to do a hard pivot on so many things, including our values.

The joy of cancellation.  When life’s daily obligation’s with coworkers, friends, family and colleagues abruptly got cancelled by “it,” we found ourselves temporarily suspended in time. The once inked-in events, fundraisers, concerts, meetings, trips and life’s daily churn screeched to a halt in mid March. And we were all left wondering how and when life would resume. Busyness was erased as easily as a maintenance person’s nightly cleaning of a whiteboard. Disappeared.  At first “it” caused disappointment – vacations cancelled, schedules interrupted, appointments postponed “until further notice.” Uncertainty debuted and dug in its’ heels. For many, uncertainty has been overwhelming, but in reflection it became freeing. For me, finding the joy in all that has been cancelled has been a quest. Each of us has been “knighted” by “it” to look and act beyond what was to what could be.

Helping others. The immediate human reaction to imminent threat is twofold:  keeping our loved ones and ourselves safe, and then helping others. After securing our home spaces, many of us wrote checks to non-profits and joined in local efforts to acknowledge front line and essential workers. Others not in the “at risk” categories have found ways through volunteering to do our part: helping out at food banks, running errands for the elderly, and doing thoughtful turns for neighbors. “It” felt good and right and I found myself wondering what took me so long to meet my neighbors’ needs up close. We need to keep helping others to see and experience more of the good.

New ways to socialize. Humans crave different levels of socialization. For introverts, staying home has not been such a burden, but for the social butterflies, it has clipped our wings. We’ve had to be creative in maintaining friendships and in growing new ones. Checking in on family, friends and neighbors has taken on a whole new meaning. Whether phone calls, video meetings, porch sits or keeping our physical distance, we’ve all created a routine within our “COVID circle.” Building this new routine has helped us all get through “it.” In fact, I’ve never seen folks so friendly, waving and shouting hellos in an effort to socially connect and fill up our voids.

Life looks inward.  Too many times our individual needs fall last on the list: our thoughts, our health, our emotional and physical needs. It’s good to have this time to focus inwardly. The self-imposed busyness of our lives tends to leave our own well being low on the list of priorities. Suddenly, our well-being was front and center. First phase: fear and anxiety. Next phase: lack of self-care. Third phase: self-improvement. Time away from our regular routines plays tricks on us individually during isolation, sometimes acting as a cruel teacher and other times as a blessing in disguise. Let’s focus on the latter and use “it” to motivate us to be better for ourselves and for those who love us.  

Life at home.  Never have we collectively spent more time at home for such an extended period of time. Family. Home. Yard. Our world suddenly shrunk. After an initial fixation with the news, (as happens during catastrophic events) we were left looking at our immediate surroundings with new eyes…stay at home eyes. And our surroundings soon began to bother us. The passage of time, a “stay home” order and life with COVID started working its’ black magic. People, fueled by pent up energy, anxiety and frustration, began cleaning up the corners of their lives that had previously been neglected “until tomorrow.” Tomorrow became today – yards now look the best they’ve ever looked, homes are being repaired and renovated, and people are finding joy (or other things) in tidying up the inside of their homes and getting things in order.

Noticing nature. A lack of commuting to work for those of us staying home means seeing what happens here when we are normally “at work.”  Either from the comfort of our home or while enjoying outdoor time, it seems there is more wildlife outside our four walls than we’ve ever previously noticed.  A variety of birds and mammals live among us once unseen and now are welcome distractions. Hummingbirds are now observed daily. Flowers that were there, but never fully appreciated are finally seen, cut and arranged in vases to enjoy.  Gardens once untended are rediscovered. Yes, noticing nature is part of the good I see in “it.”

Outdoor escapes.  My happy place has been the great outdoors for over five decades. And now, in the relative safety of fresh air and the outdoors, people have flocked in record numbers outdoors. My husband and I marvel at the droves of people filing by on our neighborhoods’ sidewalks: biking, walking, strolling, skateboarding and running. For some, it is their first time venturing on long walks, hiking through the woods, or visiting our local, state or national parks. Bike trails are crammed with novices and veterans alike all eager to shatter the sheltering routine, bust boredom and exert energy. Thoreau would be thrilled (or maybe appalled) with the throngs out enjoying nature. Now the challenge is to find times that the masses are not outdoors alongside me.

 Work and learn from anywhere. I’ve long known work and learning can be productive from anyplace, anytime, but employers and schools needed convincing.  The good in this pandemic is that excuses why not to allow virtual participation have been silenced. I’ve known for decades that some of my best work has taken place from home. But it took a pandemic for others to realize you can work or learn from home or anywhere, which is as disruptive as it is freeing.  The effects of this adaptive hard pivot are chapters in books not yet written. The effects of “it” on our use of and thinking about physical space are long lasting and still unfolding. Don’t misunderstand me; I still value in-person the most. The lesson “it” taught us is that we now collectively know we can be physically apart and virtually still get things done.

Time to read. A couple of months ago I stopped binge watching TV and a few weeks ago I started reading again. First, “Little Fires Everywhere,” then “Where the Crawdads Sing.” Now another book is underway with one in the cue. Perhaps it is escapism, but through the busyness of life I’ve forgotten how much I love to read. Yes, reading is back on my list of priorities, where it should have been all along and the boob tube is turned to sparingly as a mindless respite.

Time to build. Time is a gift. And what we have is time on our hands. Maybe now is the time for the world’s innovators to get to work, to build and invite others to co-create our future. Simply waiting for “it” to pass is not an option and a waste of time.  We are not going back to the same world. Bad leadership will fall. Marginal businesses will close and life will find a new way forward. But the new that is being built has a different feel to it. And we wonder what community will look like once “it” passes. Yes, as cliché as it is; only time will tell. So reclaim yours today.

Hope for the future. Yes, the fatigue beast has crept into our lives and we all long for the return of normal.  But “it” isn’t going away anytime soon.  What we do have control over is our attitude – seeing the good or only the bad. Hope is part of the powerful prescription needed until we are all vaccinated. Hope just doesn’t appear one day; it is channeled and fashioned every day. Now is the time to call a friend, to set up a physically distant porch visit, to surprise a shut-in with flowers or to move forward with building that new idea. You are responsible for helping hope find its way.

Be the ripple. We are living a 2020 live stream version of David versus Goliath and some days I’m not so sure who is winning. Unless you have a front row seat to the virus in your personal circle, “it” seems surreal - like watching a movie, maybe “Groundhog Day” where we are all stuck on repeat. Or maybe we’re starring in our own version of “The Truman Show,” where everyone is home watching everyone else, but nobody knows really what’s going on, whom the star is and what will happen if we break out of the bubble. We all need to tune our personal antennas to what our neighbors’ needs are.  Our outlook can be contagious and impacts those around us in ways we may never know. There is a silver lining if you look for the good in “it.” We need a wave of positivity about now and you can help create the next ripples.  

Dandelion Strategy

It’s dandelion season in our neighborhood. Just like clockwork it happens every spring about this time. The yellow invasive flowers nobody intentionally planted insist on blooming. It’s a battle for some, an annoyance for others and yet some don’t care to notice. It all depends on your values and if you see this as a problem or not. Dandelions (and weeds in general) are like the wicked problems of the world; they never completely go away. Let’s face it, the dandelion is classified as a weed, but how we view the invader, like problems in our lives, drives our strategy. Let’s review nine ways to approach dandelions to see which one/s you are most likely to model.

Complainers:  These folks notice the dandelions, but instead of doing anything about it, decide instead to comment on how heavy or light the crop is this year. Their strategy is perhaps related to “Deniers,” never actually developing a strategy to manage the problem. Perhaps the past experience of complainers is knowledge enough to know this cyclical problem won’t last long. Complainers, as if competing in a sport, love to complain, and seek an audience, any audience, for their performance. Once dandelion season is over, they’ll move on to gripe about the lack of rain, poor planting choices of neighbors or full gutters. We all know the complainers in our lives.

The Meadow: This was my father’s approach at one point of his life. He was not particularly fond of yard work, so as he aged and his physical abilities declined, his attitude shifted. My dad, and other followers of this solution, takes the observational approach. Instead of fighting the weeds, they tolerate them, even embrace them, reclassifying their yard as a “meadow” instead. I’m not saying his neighbors at the time in a nice south side Tampa neighborhood appreciated the meadow approach, but for him, it was the perfect solution. P.S. At his last house in Marietta, GA, my dad hired a lawn care company, so they took care of “it” and he enjoyed supervising.

Deniers: This group simply denies they have a problem. What problem? Is there actually a problem? And everyone else seems to have more dandelions than they do. They may also use the tactic of blaming their neighbors for their problem. ‘Nuf said about this group ‘cause they simply don’t have a problem.

Mow Over It: A relative of “Deniers,” the “mow over it” group is a classic, yet sneaky bunch. Their strategy is to wait until the yellow flower appears, then quickly mow their lawn (preferably when nobody is looking) to eliminate the evidence and avoid perceived public embarrassment. If the yellow flowers aren’t visible, who knows you have a problem, right? Tactical delivery of the solution requires LOTS of mowing since these pesky dandelion flowers reappear rapidly, so have plenty of gasoline on hand.

Dandelion Wine: This approach views dandelions as a resource to be protected and not eliminated. Dandelions are grown and harvested for things like wine, bouquets of flowers (kids to parents mostly) and salad greens. These entrepreneurs and innovators treat dandelions like a crop instead of a weed. 

Best for the Bee: This hybrid approach is a “Dandelion Wine (an asset) meets the “Meadow” approach (let nature take its’ course). This very small and well-read group of farmers knows that the early blooming and fast growing dandelion is just what the bee needs to get buzzing in the spring. Think pollen and nutrients (ask someone in this group for details and I’m sure they’d love to convert you ‘cause it’s good for their hives and the environment). Thanks to my neighbors - whose family keeps bees - for background on this strategy. Had I become aware before I got my green lawn certificate, I could have jumped on this bandwagon or maybe planted dandelions around my garden perimeter for good measure.

War Zone: These serious neighbors are easy to spot. They mask up and equip themselves with spray canisters and spreaders to rid dandelions in an annual battle. Their approach is all offense, coming down with liquid and granular chemicals either before or after the yellow heads show themselves (hoping their shots are on target). They are not happy until all the yellow soldiers have surrendered for the season. However, in most cases, the dandelions do come back next season because the root of the problem may not have been eliminated, just the symptom. Be cognizant of your open windows when they do battle and hope the chemical run off stays in their water table.

Diggers: This strategy doesn’t target the blossoming yellow flower, but rather the root of the weed. A proficient digger is patient, knows where and when to dig (after some nice rains), zones out their yard and meticulously keeps after it. Results are slow, immediate and gratifying with resulting piles of debris rewarding manual labor. Diggers know that locating their hindquarters on a stool or sitting cross-legged on the grass are preferred positions for executing their plan. Muscle memory from past seasons of squatting or bending over may still linger for these focused folks. In my estimate, depending how carefully you dig up and pull the root, effective diggers decrease next season’s dandelion crop by about 50%. This strategy requires the most time and physical exertion and is also the least expensive, only needing to purchase a digger tool in year one. 

Fertilizers: These folks take a purely defensive approach, thinking that a thick carpet of green will choke out space for weeds to grow. You’ll never see a “fertilizer” bend over to dig, but instead they mow on schedule, fertilize religiously or may contract with a lawn service to do the deed for them. The key to fertilizer strategy is consistency (application, watering and mowing).

My Strategy: After years (ok decades) of being a homeowner, here is my advice on how to manage your problems, I mean dandelions. First, analyze your lawn. If it is thin with shallow roots and lots of weeds, the best approach may be to ask for help and start over. Yes, gulp, go back to start. That thought was so distasteful that we varied our avoidance strategy for 20 years trying to make our old, weak lawn (inherited with our 1950’s house) thrive. We tried many of the above strategies and even hired a lawn service one season. Inconsistency in our approach resulted in a tired turf with nothing much to show for our efforts.

What finally worked came about as a consequence of building an addition to our house. The earth movers and construction equipment tore up our lawn and professionals re-graded and reseeded it. We followed instructions from the landscapers to get the new lawn established: water the seed frequently (2-3x daily) and deep water the young blades while clearing out the weeds. Years later, the results are finally paying off -  a lush green carpet. Not perfectly all grass, but the view gets a street side nod (just don’t look too closely). I thought a sea of green would make me happy, but sometimes once you reach a goal, you start to look at the problem differently.

Critical review of our strategy would question the thousands of gallons of water this lawn consumed to get established and still demands to keep up the self-imposed standard. Instead of feeling victory on the battlefield, I feel a bit of survivor’s guilt. I start to question, “Who decided a green yard should be the standard anyway?” Grassed yards are certainly not “best” for our earth. Could it be that now that I’m a member of the green lawn club I just don’t want to consider Mother Earth’s best interest? Perhaps. After all, I just invested decades of my time and effort in a solution to my dandelion dilemma. In reflection, just when we think we have one problem solved, we realize maybe we may have been solving for the wrong problem. But that’s for another blog to explore…back to dandelions.

P.S. Dealing with Your Neighbors: What happens when neighbors who don’t subscribe to your dandelion philosophy surround you? Good question. As their yellow tops appear en mass and you nervously watch them go to seed, you secretly hope the wind blows the other way. But, inevitably, the wind blows towards your lawn and their seeds find your bare spots. After the first season of neighborly sharing, you can refine your tactics for next year’s battle, deciding to encroach on their property in many of the above strategies or combine efforts for best results.

Having just dug up a manageable and rewarding crop of dandelions, I realize my current strategy is both to be a digger and maintainer of a strong lawn (to reduce the bare spots). Minimizing space for the neighbors’ dandelions’ seeds to land and take root is now a key tactic of my battle plan. And yes, you’ll also find me digging up dandelions just over my property line to prevent weed creepage (is that a word?) into my lawn. Because your neighbors all subscribe to different strategies, guaranteed. And that’s ok because this is America, after all.

What strategy do you subscribe to for the dandelions in your life? Are you on the offense, defense, in denial, embracing nature or some combination? No doubt, life is full of weeds and there are many strategies. My recommendation is take inventory of the quality of your lawn, plan a good defensive strategy, then start digging to get to the root of the problem. Just remember it takes time and continual work…and don’t forget your gloves, digger and stool.

Cocooning

Like everyone else, I am cocooned due to the Cornovirus pandemic. Or is it marooned? The state I’m in feels like I’m watching “Groundhog Day” during the Polar Vortex on 9-11. Emotions have gyrated back and forth these past six weeks, with grief at the core. My grief journey feels a bit familiar, having gone through terminal illness with family members and death of loved ones. And it feels different as I traverse through stages of grief that are unchartered waters during a global pandemic.

As a reference, Elisabeth Kubler-Ross wrote about the stages of grief in her 1969 book "On Death and Dying". I’m revisiting these through the lens of the Illinois “Stay at Home” order. The five stages include: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. It’s important to know that grief can affect every aspect of life, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. And, it’s equally important to know you may not go through all stages or in any particular order. Here are notes from my journey so far that may seem familiar to you (or not) in your situation.

Once the COVID-19 crisis began shutting things down I watched awestruck, in disbelief, as my calendar imploded and cleared out for the foreseeable future. Most certainly I was in Denial. Events cancelled. Trips refunded. Dates rescheduled to “sometime in the future.” Since nobody knew how long this would be, I began consuming media: listening to the radio, watching TV, scanning social media and tuning in on governmental daily updates. There was a curiosity to learn more, to understand and to try to make sense of it all. As a futurist, I tried to figure out where help may be needed and how to be of help. My pent up energy and ideas initially spewed out as two blogs: Life Disrupted: 50 Things to Do While Sheltering from COVID-19 and 50 Ways to Work Smart From Home During the COVID-29 Pandemic.  Heck, I event did a proper hand washing video. Then Governor Pritzker called for volunteers to help, so I signed up to be a Red Cross volunteer and help at the Northern Illinois Food Bank. Once this initial energy was spent, I found myself at stage 2.

Next up was Anger. I’m not sure what I was angry about, but since being told to stay home is not something anyone planned on, anger is a feeling that bubbles up from time to time. I’m not angry by nature, but I found things to complain about and was angry for all the losses to come: small businesses affected; the vulnerable, sick and dying; friends and family distancing and for feeling helpless and isolated. I guess I felt most angry at losing control.

Somewhere in week two of staying home, the Bargaining began. I guess I did a bit of that just before cancelling spring break plans to Florida. We waited until the last minute in case something new would break to miraculously change the course of the stay home order. I even made hopeful plans a couple weeks ahead for a Starved Rock weekend that also went bust. Still home, still waiting, still powerless…yes the reality of this was firmly settling in to be grim. 

That’s when Depression paid a visit. One day my 2-year-old grandson didn’t want to talk to me (“No, Mimi”) on a video call, labeling his feelings as “sad.” His routine was totally disrupted: he can’t play with his friends, go with mom and sister to the coffee shop, stop at the library, participate in gymnastics or swim at the health club. I totally empathized since I do all the grown up versions of his schedule. It had all come to a screeching halt. When the bargaining ran out, so did my steam (temporarily), which sunk into about a 48-hour depression. I binge watched Netflix, ate food I shouldn’t have, slept in (what’s the point of waking up to the same thing every day?) and had an uncharacteristically poor attitude. It was about this time that John Prine, a songwriter/musician died at age 73 of complications from COVID-19. I remember reading the lyrics from one of his songs, “Bruised Orange (Chain of Sorrow),” that seemed to capture where I was mentally.

“You can gaze out the window get mad and get madder,
Throw your hands in the air, say “; What does it matter?”;
But it don’t do no good to get angry, So help me I know
For a heart stained in anger grows weak and grows bitter.
You become your own prisoner as you watch yourself sit there
Wrapped up in a trap of your very own Chain of sorrow.”

John’s words were timely reminders that I am the songwriter of my personal ballad; his words nudged me back to composing, now with new purpose. Perhaps, it was one of many triggers to move on and stop feeling sorry for myself.

Yes, Stage 5 Acceptance arrived about week 3.  It was time to live in a new reality where I cannot control what’s outside my house, but can control how I feel and what I do with my time. And that’s when it started: Second floor redecorating projects; wellness schedule (online yoga, daily meditation, long walks, stationary bicycle, stair climbing, etc.); Zoom meetings, nutritional eating/cooking research and implementation; yard work; writing; volunteering; binge learning; and building out a new idea. Acceptance doesn’t mean I have to like the situation. I just have to navigate and control my life, accepting the new realities. Even though I have accepted the pandemic doesn’t mean the waters of depression don’t wash over me from time to time.

Yesterday the Governor announced extending the Stay at Home order through May -  another five weeks (shaking my head). I felt a temporary wave of depression, but quickly reframed the unwelcome news as more time to cocoon. I can choose to look at “this” as a sentence or a sanctuary. “Stay at Home” is an opportunity to sink into a depression or lift self-expectations. I’ve chosen the latter of both of this. Spring is here (well, nearly), it’s porch weather (almost) with garden planting just around the corner. It comes down to mindset and reframing yours. Nurseries were declared open with social distancing, so it’s time to think about getting my flowers, which is a real attitude booster.

Today’s outstanding Red Cross D & I Teams Training by Jayzen Patria likened what we are all experiencing to organizational change. He citied a model by Cynthia Scott and Dennis Jaffe (above) and the four stages: denial, resistance, exploration and commitment. I can see similarities to the Kubler-Ross model of grief as well as differences. Jayzen did a “tire check” with us using the digital engagement tool, Mentimeter, to gauge where we were in these four stages. I weighed in at the “Exploration” phase, which means I’ve stopped resisting and am focusing on the future. Jayzen then asked, “Are you surviving or thriving?” and “Which brain are you using: Stone Age (survival) or Space Age (thrive)?” Both are good questions as I bounce back and forth between the two, depending whether I’m masking up at the grocery store or Zooming with a client or friend. 

Whatever you are feeling right now, remember to take care of yourself first, then check-in on the well-being of others. When we all emerge from our cocoons’ we’ll look and act a bit differently. I’m not sure that is all bad. Caterpillars go through a metamorphosis and a cocoon is there to house the chrysalis during the transformation. And, remember, there is no resting going on inside the cocoon because transformation is hard and messy work. I just hope we recognize each other as we emerge later this summer.

See you on the other side of this thing. Stay safe and be well.

Four Steps to Make Your Good Idea Great

From your napkin to a masterpiece

1. It starts with empathy.

2. Create and test your hypothesis.

3. Focus your idea.

4. Be remarkable.

We all know ideas are plentiful, but how do you go from good to great ones? Jim Collins may have some thoughts about good to great, and I have ones with respect to ideas. Having spent years/decades working with ideas and teams of people, there are four steps I practice to help make ideas take flight. If you want to read a superb book on making your ideas memorable, I highly recommend the book, “Made to Stick"…..” by brother authors Chip and Dan Heath. The following four steps are a long read that include my insights and a story snapshot from my practical experience. These insights are a blend of design thinking, practical experience and thoughts from wise authors, like the Heath brothers.

Here are the steps I practice:

1.     Start with empathy.

2.     Create and test your hypothesis.

3.     Focus your idea.

4.     Be remarkable.

Begin with the most important one, “start with empathy.” Why? Because grounding yourself in the heart of the problem and understanding it from the user viewpoint is invaluable for the creation of possible solutions. “It starts with empathy” is Four Hawk’s first corporate value and should be your first step as well.

1.    Start with empathy. The first step in wondering what to do with your idea is to start with empathy. If an idea pops up into your head, it’s just an idea. They come and go and we rarely take action on them. Combining your idea with empathy is the secret ingredient if you are willing to do the work. Empathy happens when you study stakeholders directly and indirectly involved with a problem. And don’t be afraid to talk to people about your ideas. Remember, it’s just an idea at this point and if you want to make it a good idea, you need input. Lots of input. And if you want to make it a great idea, your original thinking will pivot and iterate into the best solution. After actively listening to dozens (or preferably hundreds) of folks about your idea, your insights build and what the problem is you’re solving may actually shift. Your new understanding helps you build a better (and the correct) solution. Whether you hold a design charrette to gain community insights for designing a new public space or sit down for coffee with community members to identify problems, empathy is the needed ingredient. Once you identify and involve people in the problem your idea addresses, the more likely it is they’ll see themselves in the solution. So why is this step often overlooked or skipped?  Simply because it takes time and effort. And people often think their idea is THE solution without including empathy. Sadly, it happens all the time. Once you have gained empathy, now it’s time to formulate your hypothesis.

Story Snapshot: The 1991 Batavia design charrette to improve Batavia volunteerism drew 100 residents together to re-imagine the future. One problem the charrette identified was the need to transform blighted riverfront property. A tangential problem was the lack of community gathering space.  These two problems came together to create a unique solution: the formation of the Batavia Riverwalk project. The Fox River linear park in downtown Batavia was designed and built over eight years using volunteer fundraising and labor, transforming underutilized riverfront property into a signature park. The Batavia Riverwalk won the State of Illinois’ Hometown Award for Volunteerism for the project and today stands as Batavia’s community gather space and source of pride.

Batavia Riverwalk - Batavia, IL

2.    Create and test your hypothesis.  Start by writing down your hypothesis, (based in empathy gained in Step 1). Then test your hypothesis. Your research needs to involve potential users or customers. Ask them questions about how they currently deal with the problem and what they’d like to see in a solution. Then ask more and more stakeholders of different demographics to make sure the evolving solution you are building from your idea is the one that will be used and adopted. When stakeholders are asked and included, a groundswell effect and adoption of the solution is much more likely. And, besides, people like to be asked and included, don’t you? If you just show up and dish out your solution to their problem without doing this step, your idea is likely not going to be well received or survive to the next step.  

Story Snapshot: Mentoring teens is both a joy and a test of patience for me. Working with entrepreneurship students, it always amazes me how many do not want to do the research to a) identify the competition; b) locate, then talk to people involved with the problem; and c) get reactions to their prototype solution. Belief that their idea, their solution to the problem is the first one ever conceived is most times the norm. Many novice entrepreneurs just want to dish out their solution and skip this step. Skipping this step is a common flaw, which funny enough, many novice adult entrepreneurs and company intrapreneurs do as well. Millions of dollars and untold hours are wasted every year with new “widgets” and programs introduced with “how do you like it?” All too often customers respond (or think to themselves), “You should have asked me for input during the design process.”  

3.    Focus your idea.  We all know KISS (Keep it Simple Stupid) and the reality is that simplicity is indeed harder than it sounds. Distilling your idea down to the bare essence is brutally hard because it means having to focus on your core offering. Being concrete is key to your solution. You can’t be everything to everybody, so figure out which lane is yours and how to reach your customer. If ideas are too esoteric, they lend themselves to creative interpretation. If your solution is vague, it will be hard for customers to rally around (or for). So, if you get this far, research confirms your hypothesis, and you’re clear on your solution, it’s time for your idea to take flight.

Story Snapshot: A young entrepreneur coming out of college had an idea to start a company with his friends. The friends, and now business partners went to school together and all had the same skills. Sounds like a great idea? They developed a website, printed up business cards and waited for customers. Not much business came their way. Why? Because they didn’t start from a place of empathy, didn’t research their competition, didn’t really know their target market, and didn’t form a team with diverse skills needed in business (who was doing sales?). They had a great product and a creative team, but were not able to stay in business long because they just executed their solution without a balanced team, didn’t test their hypothesis and skipped most of their homework.  

4.    Make it remarkable. Thinking you can simply hang out your shingle or launch a website and expect orders or customers to pour in is not realistic.  The last step of launching your idea is to make it memorable and as Chip and Dan Heath recommend: “make it unexpected.” How are you standing out from or above the crowd? What can you offer that gets you noticed and also may help establish yourself as an expert? Marketing channels are overloaded these days. Your challenge is to figure out a way to be unique.

Story Snapshot: One of my favorite gorilla marketing tactics was executed while serving as a downtown manager promoting the Halloween-themed festival called BatFest.  A couple of weeks prior to BatFest, I started spray-chalking bats (using a stencil) throughout our downtown on windows and sidewalks. As the event drew closer, more bats appeared and more buzz was created throughout the town. Residents wondered who was creating the art for what purpose. The idea to promote the festival met the event marketing goals of being low cost, memorable and creating buzz throughout town.

What idea is ruminating inside your head? Get it out by starting with empathy, create and test your hypothesis, focus your solution and be remarkable. Ideas are common. And because those of us willing to do the work of making good ideas great are few, your chances are exponentially better when you follow these four steps. In challenging times, sometimes the best ideas emerge out of disruption, fear and necessity. Will you act on those or let them pass? Maybe the worst of times is the best time to roll up your sleeves and get started.

50 Ways to Work Smart From Home During the COVID-19 Pandemic

As an “idea person,” entrepreneur and expert organizer, I’ve compiled this list of 50 Ways to Work Smart. There are ten things to do now before your work is closed (if not closed already) and 40 things to do from home. If your office is already closed, you can still implement many of the items on the first ten list. Think of this as an opportunity to work differently, innovate and shake up your routine. There needs to be a positive side of disruption. If you need help innovating, I’m happy to help. Email me at brittawmckenna@gmail.com.

PREPARATIONS TO WORK FROM HOME BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE OFFICE (If you are still working at a place of business)

1.     Understand your HR policies regarding work from home during extended emergencies and adhere to them.

2.     Take your laptop and power cord home every night.

3.     Create a critical papers file of anything you might need to access for next 30-90 days and take it home with you every night.

4.     Survey your team to find out what technology collaboration tools they use.

5.     Organize, announce and train (if needed) your team/organization on Microsoft Teams or free technology tools (i.e. Shared Drive or options like G-Suite, Airtable in addition to your server access offsite; videoconferencing tools like Skype, Zoom or Hangouts; productivity apps like Slack, Asana or Basecamp are available, some with premium services). Private, encrypted free texting is available on apps like Signal. Use chat features/channels/texting in programs to push and share immediate information without phone text charges.

6.     Move your team meetings online now to practice (if needed).

7.     Match tech savvy staff with tech-challenged staff in a “buddy” support system. Pair your tech savvy staff with tech-challenged personnel NOW to get team tech parity. Organize and implement this on a shared spreadsheet like Airtable or G-Suite so you assist pairing and can monitor progress.

8.     Clean out your work refrigerator. You’ll be thankful you did when you get back to work after the all clear.

9.     Clean up your desk and sanitize your workspace, including your keyboard and phone.

10. Back up your computer files on an external hard drive and/or server.

WORKING FROM HOME

1.     Establish a COVID-19/Emergency Response team to deal with issues regarding the pandemic and how it is affecting your organization and staff (this can also be done if you are still working from your office).

2.     Have your CEO or President schedule regular messaging with staff using a webinar or use other online platform to provide comprehensive updates and instill confidence and a sense of control. Email is one tool, but gets easily lost/deleted.

3.     Ask colleagues what they are struggling with working remotely and create resources for them. Encourage them to email a designated person or share challenges on a virtual whiteboard so solutions can be crowdsourced. Here is a review of some virtual whiteboards to get you started.

4.     Create a comfortable, dedicated workspace, away from TV and other distractions.

5.     Evaluate your morning routine and modify your personal schedule to compensate for zero transit time to work. Get dressed to help shape your state of mind.

6.     Visualize your day each morning (flow) and what you need to accomplish; write down your “to do list” if helpful or add workflow to a tech tool to hold yourself accountable. Revisit this list at the end of each day to track progress.

7.     Establish a caregiving schedule: If you have a child/children/dependents at home, set up a schedule with anyone at your location to take turns watching them with “heads down” work time.

8.     Be available – by telephone (if you have a job like a teacher and you don’t want to give out your phone number, set up a temporary VOIP (voice over Internet protocol) number and send it out to your class). Higher ed online collaboration tools like Blackboard are the best place to keep assignments and communication in one place. Scheduling tools like Calendly or You Can Book Me are good for folks to sign up for your office hours slots. If you are looking to identify time for a group to meet, try When2Meet or try a Doodle poll to find common time.

9.     Plan alternative communication channels. Email boxes are already getting jammed, so make a plan/schedule to connect regularly with your colleagues or clients using other technology channels.

10. Host a Slack Stand up meeting with your teams to report in daily, weekly. It is an app that you can have on your phone and computer.

11. Create a break space in your home, away from your workspace.

12. Schedule and share a 15-minute virtual cup of coffee break a couple times a day. Use that time to invite staff to check in with you one-on-one (videoconferencing preferred, but phone is also fine).  

13. Review your emails and digital files – delete and file, sort by size of the email and attachments to save precious space (your IT team will thank you).

14. Review company/department marketing plans and make decisions now on how things should pivot as new markets unfold and others fall off temporarily.

15. Network! Go through that pile of business cards in your drawer and digitize them. Connect and reach out via LinkedIn or write a handwritten correspondence to gain attention and stand out from the sea of emails.

16. Write that blog you always said you’d write.

17. Start a podcast or pitch a topic and your credentials to someone whose podcast you’d like to be on as a guest.

18. Send HR your thoughts on company HR policies regarding working at home or extended emergencies now that you are living it.

19. Handwrite notes of encouragement and appreciation and mail USPS to your staff. Later on, write and send a thank-you note to a colleague who has done something nice for you during quarantine or been a leader to recognize their efforts (send to work if you don’t have their home address and they’ll have it first thing when they return).

20. Write a LinkedIn recommendation for your mentor, peer or colleague you admire.

21. Sort through work photos, put in files for social media posts, marketing, presentations and then trash those you don’t need. P.S. Photos take up a huge amount of space and your IT team will thank you (again).

22. Create a new wellness plan for yourself. Some gyms are closed, so evaluate what you can do in and around your home and do it. If it is safe to invite a buddy to workout with you, keep social distance and schedule now. A walk in nature for fresh air can be restorative in many ways.

23. Create self-care time; pause to meditate/pray/breathe/center yourself. Remember, this is temporary.

24. Cue up your social media posts on a service like Buffer, Later, Loomly or others (paid). Do you have advice to offer during these trying times? Then jump in and offer it to help others via social media/owned media channels.

25. Order carry out or have food delivered from your local restaurant to help keep them in business during the quarantine period.

26. Share lunch with someone (in person if you live nearby, practicing social distancing and other precautions) where one of you brings lunch to the other.

27.  Research the next conference you want to attend and get a budget together for it.  How about applying to present at a 2021 conference?

28. Organize and hold a virtual fund raising drive to support your local non-profits hurting from the pandemic. (How about a food drive for the local food pantry as an easy one with local impact?)

29. Work on that presentation or new curriculum you’ve been putting off.

30. Host a webinar on your topic of expertise or sign up for an interesting webinar to learn something new.

31. Send out/complete personnel evaluations for the year (if possible) early for once!

32. Distribute links to/complete any mandatory online training (sexual harassment, ethics, diversity, new employee, etc.)

33. Create/send out a staff survey to plan next professional development or retreat day to get ideas from your team using Survey Monkey or make it more fun on an app like Kahoot doing it real time.

34. Update your resume and social media profiles. Repost critical information sent from your marketing team if instructed to/relevant to your industry.

35. Play your favorite music!

36. Update your current budget for next quarter or develop one for next year.

37. Sign-up for an online class or MOOC (Massive Open Online Class) to improve your knowledge/skills.

38. Order new office supplies so they’ll be waiting for you when you return.

39. Plan a welcome back gathering at work.

40. Remember to tell your colleagues how much they are valued. We all need positive affirmation and encouragement, especially now!

The bottom line is to be smart on how you work and live until this virus is under control and gone. It is easy to panic if you are tuned into the avalanche of media stories and conflicting information. Be a leader and share facts and knowledge about what you know to help others. Keep your social distance, don’t put yourself in large gatherings and wash your hands. Here is a video I made about the new, proper hand washing technique I learned last fall at spine school before surgery. A PS note to the video is to use a paper towel or use your elbow to turn the water off to maintain sanitation, which I neglected to model.

If you need someone to bump heads with to get new ideas or direction, I’m offering free one hour virtual cups of coffee through March 30 afternoons from 1-5 p.m. You can access my calendar to schedule time HERE and I’ll try to be of help or suggest resources.

Stay safe and work smart. We’ll get through this together. Namaste.

Life Disrupted: 50 things to do while sheltering from COVID-19

So, we now know what a #blackswan is. I feel like 9-11 and the polar vortex had a baby called Corona. The fear factor seems a bit like 9-11 and the shelter in place like the polar vortex (except everyone seems to be a the stores stocking up). Life certainly has been disrupted

When did you go stock up on toilet paper, canned goods and disinfectant wipes? Personally, I went out two weeks ago while watching what was happening on the other side of the world and then again this week. But it really hasn’t hit us until the past couple of days when everything is being cancelled. Since I find myself with quite a clear schedule the next couple of weeks, it got me thinking. My time discernment found me creating a list of potential things to do that are mostly not work related. I’ll work on that list next. So here is the list to help inspire your own.

50 Things to do while self-quarantining for COVID-19

1.     Complete 2020 Census.

2.     Binge watch Netflix.

3.     Clean out your refrigerator, toss expired foods.

4.     Paint that room.

5.     Clean out your emails.

6.     Delete photos off your camera roll on your phone.

7.     Go through your medicine cabinet and throw out expired items.

8.     Organize family photos/work on scrapbooks.

9.     Throw out old spices.

10. Go through your closet and donate clothes to charity.

11. “Marie Kondo” your condo or house and get ready for a garage sale.

12. Find your “honey do” list and get some things “honey done.”

13. Do something artistic.

14. Wash your windows.

15. Clean your car.

16. Do yard work.

17. Go for a nature walk away from crowds.

18. Update your will.

19. Learn how to cook something new.

20. Bake your favorite dessert and share it with your elderly neighbor.

21. Write a letter to someone who hasn’t heard from you in a long time.

22. Call your parents. If they aren’t alive, call your kids. If you don’t have kids, call a friend.

23. Tidy up your garage.

24. Shred old bills and documents.

25. Do your taxes.

26. Start seeds for your garden.

27. Organize computer files.

28. Play board games with your family.

29. Rearrange your furniture.

30. Spring clean your yard.

31. Meditate.

32. Stretch, yoga.

33. Change the sheets on your bed (and wash them). It’s time to take off my flannel anyway.

34. Hold meetings and conversations online.

35. Make something.

36. Read a book.

37. Play your favorite music.

38. Update your social media profiles.

39. Sign up for an online class.

40. Order new (fill in the blank) online.

41. Update your resume.

42. Write something.

43. Learn a new language.

44. Participate in a webinar.

45. Purchase gift certificates from your favorite small businesses to help keep them in business during this downturn.

46. Write a thank you letter to your favorite coach or teacher.

47. Check-in with an elderly family member or neighbor.

48. Pull out baby pictures and share stories.

49. Water, re-pot, fertilize your plants.

50. Just “be” with the one/s you love.

So many choices. Don’t let fear rule your life right now. Take steps to be safe and keep healthy and take this time to do some things you’ve put off for weeks, months, years or even decades. We’ll get through this together. And, besides, wouldn’t it be nice to slip into clean sheets tonight and wake up to a clean fridge tomorrow?

P.S. Since the virus is spread by contact of the droplets and proper hand washing is a great way to keep yourself healthy, I made this video to share a new hand washing technique I learned last fall before I underwent back surgery at Rush-Copley. It’s not your grandma’s hand washing, so check it out. Stay well my friends.

Getting My Wings

Sometimes obvious hides in plain sight. Taking time to regroup and recharter enabled my personal white space for self-organization, self-reflection and self-care. It’s just what I needed. Nesting time. And now my pause, my personal sabbatical, my gap year is over. I’m recharged and ready to take flight with this new venture called Four Hawks. For those of you who have been waiting to see “what’s next,” it’s really just more of what I love to do - helping ideas take flight.

I look forward to working with changemakers of all types to help you scan your environment, solve problems and soar higher. If your organization is ready to counteract the powerful inertia of the status quo, let’s talk. It’s time for you to create something new, by design.

If you’d like to learn more about Four Hawks and how we can help your organization with innovation on demand services, let me buy you a cup of coffee so I can hear your story.

Yes, it’s time for takeoff…