Time for a video chat ... technology is awesome!

Did you know that China is 12 hours ahead of Eastern Daylight Standard time? Well my boyfriend and I are experiencing that time difference right now. He is abroad for work and I'm home in the US but the technology of our culture has made this world small!

There are many options out there such as Skype or FaceTime for video chats and WhatsApp, Viber, TextPlus for texting. We chose Skype and TextPlus. Results? So far it's great! We are able to stay in touch each day, sharing what's going on and encouraging each other. He has one week left of his three week trip. Of course I am looking forward to being in the same time zone as him. It's so odd to say good morning to him when it's nighttime here!

The first time I went out of the country was very different. In 2006 I went to Oxford University for the summer to take two courses with an organization called Academic Study Associates. I remember my mom purchasing a calling card for me to be able to call home from the one phone in the dorm room hallway. My family and I exchanged letters in the mail too. Yes I mean the actual mail a.k.a. snail mail, not email. (I miss getting physical letters in the mail though)

It's crazy to think that was less than 10 years ago. Technology is rapidly expanding ... maybe even exponentially! Just think of cellphones ... they use to be the size of bricks and now they easily fit into your pocket.

What do you think the next greatest technology invention or enhancement will be?

Riddle me this

Read and answer these four questions.

1. How do you put a giraffe in a refrigerator?

2. How you put an elephant in a refrigerator?
3. The Lion King is hosting a conference. All of the local animals are in attendance but one. Who is not present?
4. You are slated to be the final speaker at the conference. Unfortunately, to get there you have to swim a river inhabited by crocodiles. What do you do?

Scroll down for the answers.

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Answers:

1. Open the door and put him in.

2. Take out the giraffe and put in the elephant.

3. The elephant, he is still in the refrigerator.

4. You swim; all of the crocodiles are all ready at the conference.

Explanation: Look for the simplest solution (#1).  Keep things simple (#2). Recall facts (the elephant is still in the refrigerator and thus can’t go to the conference-#3). And, use deductive skills in problem solving (the crocodiles are at the conference- #4).  Side note: Most four year olds score 100% on this.

How did you do? Do you over think things? Constantly analyzing a situation? Replaying that conversation over in your head imagining it going every which way? Well you aren't alone! I stumbled upon this riddle while looking for ice breakers for a group of coworkers and I really enjoyed the lesson it taught.

You might be asking, "How does this relate to my life in Christ?" Well God tells us not to worry. When I'm analyzing a situation wondering whether or not I have enough money to buy this or that, or stressing over a dress that doesn't fit right, I'm worrying (See Matt6:25-33). I'm worrying that God isn't enough. That His sacrifice of His only Son wasn't enough. When I remember that, I realize my worries are so trivial in the scope of eternity. God has a plan far greater than anything I could imagine. Jesus has taken my burdensome worries and given me freedom!

Matthew 6:25-33

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Are you a Multiplier or Diminisher?

This week I had the opportunity to tune into a live stream training session with Liz Wiseman on her book The Multiplier Effect. She provided great insight into how best to manage people. Here's a recap!

What is a Multiplier? A person that uses their intelligence, skills, etc. to amplify the intelligence of people around them which in turn makes team members provide their best work. The opposite is a Diminisher. Multipliers create pressure while Diminishers create stress. What is the difference between pressure and stress?

• Example: William Tell had to shoot an apple off his sons head to save his life.
• William feels pressure - He is in control
• Son feels stress - He is not in control

• What do you do with the control you have as a leader?

Based on Liz and her team's research of 150+ managers across multiple cultures, countries, continents, and industries, the follow statistics arose.

Diminshers only get 50% of people's capability. They have the view that people won't figure the problem out without their help. Diminishers are:

• Empire builders, talent hoarders

• Know it all, tell people what to do
• Decision makers: decide then debate, big decisions made behind closed doors

• Micromanagers

Multipliers get 90-100% of people's capability. They have the view that people are smart and will figure out the problem on their own. Multipliers are:

• Talent Magnet: attract and optimize talent

• Liberator: create space for best thinking
• Challenger: extend stretch challenges
• Debate Maker: debate then decide (Don’t spend their time getting buy in, spend it debating, people then feel apart of the decision)

• Investor: instill ownership & accountability (Boss just gives you 51% of vote, boss backs you up, you have all the accountability)

Sometimes we can be a Diminisher and not realize it. Liz calls this the Accidental Diminisher.

What is an Accidental Diminisher? The good manager who wants to be good leader but is having a diminishing impact. Usually the greatest diminishing impact will occur while holding greatest intentions. Below are 6 ways we can be Accidental Diminishers and how to mitigate these situations.

Idea guy:

• Thinks: "My ideas spark creativity in others!" In reality, it shuts out other people's ideas.

• Mitigate: Ask only questions to get ideas from others. Liz gave the example of putting her kids to bed. It was always a struggle of her giving orders. Instead she only asked questions (What time is it? What comes first? Who needs help with PJs? Who will brush their teeth first?) and it worked! The kids had ideas and knew what to do.

Always-on:

• Thinks:" My energy is contagious!" In reality, people are just waiting for him/her to be quiet or just avoid/tune out the person. People feel like they take all the space and shut down other people.

• Mitigate: Play your chips. Dispense opinions in small doses. Like 5 chips in a meeting.

Rescuer:

• Thinks: "I must ensure people are successful!" In reality, too much help can hurt. Employees can then rely too much or get frustrated with all the help.
• Mitigate: Give it back. Help the person but make sure to give them the control/baton back.

Pace setter:

• Thinks: "If I set the standard, others will follow!" In reality, what happens when the leader gets a car length ahead? People slow down, not speed up.

• Mitigate: Supersize a role, 1 size bigger. (Example: toddlers shoes, you buy them 1 size bigger)

Rapid Responder:

• Thinks: "My fast decisions will keep us moving quickly" In reality, employees may feel they have to respond just as quickly which may not be realistic for them.
• Mitigate: Make a debate/conversation, stop on the vital issues don't just breeze by them.

Optimist:

• Thinks: "With the right attitude we can do this!" In reality, sometimes it is an unrealistic expectation and makes employees feel undervalued. (Example: Manager - "How hard can it be?" Employee - "Well, actually it really is hard.")

• Mitigate: Create mistake space, risk and iterate space. Encourage people when they have completed the challenging problem.

Are people smart around you? What does your intelligence do to those around you? Make a simple shift. We know how to lead like multipliers, but we sit comfortably in our ways. If we shift our weight who else will?

Where do you think you fall on the spectrum? Take the Multiplier Effect Quiz!

There is no secular world for God's people

Two weeks ago I had the opportunity to see Nancy Martin give several presentations. Nancy is the leader of GE's Edison Engineering Development Program and Lead instructor for technical training across the company. During her presentation one of the topics she covered was effective presentation skills. I enjoy presenting but I do find myself nervous at times. Her tips seem very applicable so I wanted to share!

I also see this directly relating to sharing the gospel with non-Christians! I find it exciting when I see God weaving my IT job into the plan for His Kingdom because there is no "secular part" of a Christian's life. It is about bringing God glory in all parts of our life!

There are three areas to focus on:

1. Content

• The first minute of the presentation is crucial, especially when presenting over the phone. We need to engage our audience, make them understand why they should listen to us!
• Don't start with a joke (and only in some cases should you start with a question). Your audience may be unsure how to react and it could make you start out on the wrong path.
• We should plan our presentations to focus on what our audience wants to hear and determine the point of our story. How much detail do we really need to share? I know the exact number is 11.983945 but maybe I should round it up to 12.

2. Body Language

• When standing in front of a room, the most powerful body language tool is moving forward.
• When sitting in a chair, the most powerful body language tools are leaning forward slightly and sitting on the edge of your chair.
• Both of these techniques give the audience the feeling that the presenter is confident in what they are talking about. This directly translates into the audience believing your message, whether it is for funding for a project, hiring additional resources, or learning about Jesus!

3. Fears

• We can be forgetful which leads us to be fearful and nervous. A practical solution is to write down some notes. Sometimes just the act of writing down what we will say is enough. Other times we can bring those notes with us.
• If we our hearts start pounding and we are sweating … breathe! Try breathing in 1-2-3 through your nose, hold your breath 1-2-3 and blow out through your mouth 1-2-3. Repeat this 2-3 times.

When we have Christ as our Lord and Savior, we know God's Holy Spirit is within us. If we seek God in all our daily actions, He will guide us.

James 1:5-6

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.