SOAP BOX:

It is important to not only respect the details, but to also respect the people who live to remember them.

I hate it when detail-oriented people are labeled as “overly detailed.” We need these folks. Making them feel odd about their talent helps no one. You may not understand it, you may think they are OCD, but you need them.

And being critical does not become you.

The other day – okay, so like a month ago – I heard a new metaphor that sums up the way I hope to approach my office life.

I was told that each day, we juggle lots of balls, too many, actually. And that the mark of an effective leader was not in juggling well, but in making decisions as to which balls to drop.

It was further explained that some balls are made of glass and, of course, should not be dropped because they will break. On the other hand – or in the air as it were – some of those balls you juggle are made of rubber and will bounce. These are the balls that should be dropped every now and then to avoid breaking the others.

I am not sure why this particular metaphor has stuck with me, but it has. So much so that I refer to it almost every day to give myself perspective.

All this to say that no matter what your metaphor – I encourage you to stop and put your projects into perspective each day. Make a list, drop the rubber balls and get to work.

So there you are with too much to do and just enough time to stress yourself out.

I swear, I was never a believer in those who said, “Dude! This book changed my life!” But this one really stopped me in my tracks.

It is called Getting Things Done, by David Allen. It not only clearly explains a method by which folks can get and stay organized; it also talks about why we get so stressed. For me, having someone explain why I let myself get so worked up over stuff I can’t do anything about anyway was quite an “Ah Ha!” moment.

I love this book so much that I have bought copies of it for my friends, bosses and bosses’ bosses. I believe in it.

Dude, this book totally changed my life.

I know I have told you a few times on this site how much I love My EMMA e-mail marketing. But I believe it bears repeating:

I LOVE EMMA.

Folks at work now assume three things about me:
1. I am a graphic artist (This could not further from the truth, but it is kind of them to say so)

2. I am a technical, HTML genius (This is terribly off base, but cool to have folks say about you)

3.  I am a marketing whiz (I guess I am in a way because I chose to use EMMA)

Check it out for yourself. If you are going to call, ask for Jim!