2017 Reflections: 3 Quotes on Change

During my end-of-year reflections, I discovered three books I read in 2017 have strong connections to change, specifically how we come through any change more resilient. Here are three quotes I found especially powerful:  

#1 - Change Takes Time

"Everything takes longer than it does" is an Ecuadorian proverb, which succinctly encapsulates how difficulty it is to keep any change effort on schedule. When it comes to leading change, it is critical we leave space for the unexpected. If we don't, we will quickly become flustered when our original change agenda doesn't work out as planned.

Book Source: Margin By Richard Swenson

#2 Learn Through Failure

Instead of fearing failure, startup expert Eric Ries challenges us to ask "What valuable truth did you discover about your present and future prospects by failing?" For successful change leaders, failure isn't an excuse to give up, but an opportunity to learn.  They know making adjustments is critical, but first they must be brave enough to to focus on the process of learning, instead of craving instant success. 

Book Source: Disrupt Yourself by Whitney Johnson

#3 Change Leaders are Humble

Author Rick Warren notes, "Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less", which provides critical clarification on humility. It is easy to see how humble people lack excessive ego and focus on the larger goal. However, what's less obvious is the importance of maintaining a healthy view of their own strengths. Without it, people either "go quiet or go loud" about their accomplishments. The root is the same, however, because both hold a low view of their own strengths. 

Book Source: The Ideal Team Player by Patrick Lencioni

As you think about the changes in your life - either those you've faced in 2017 or those before you in 2018 - I'd love to hear how these three quotes strike you. How do they help you think about making the most of the change in your life? 

Habits Fuel Purpose – Part 2: The Importance of Self-Reflection

In this last post, we began to explore the connection between purpose and habits, especially the fact we must develop habits that keep us aligned to our larger purpose. In the end, cultivating this connection between purpose and habits will strengthen our ability to come through any change a more resilient person.

The key question remains – What practical ways can we strengthen the purpose – habit connection?  

First, let’s dive deeper into purpose. In a thought-provoking article entitled “Has Performance Become Your Purpose” business leader Kevin Cashman defines purpose as an intersection of “distinguishing talents and our deepest-held values”. He goes on to note that purpose is “our authenticity in-service to something larger."  Honestly, it is often easy to identify “something larger” (e.g. having a healthy relationship with our children or successfully leading a new initiative at work), but it is surprisingly tricky to figure out practical skills to realize this larger purpose. Habits fuel purpose. It isn’t enough to merely declare that you want to impact “something larger”, you must identify the practical habits or “distinguishing talents” you will use to make progress towards that larger purpose.  

The first habit we each should consider is self-reflection. 

I can’t overstate the fact that if we are in danger of wasting our change, it is often because we don’t give ourselves space to reflect on how the change is impacting us personally. 

Regardless of where you are in the cycle of your change, you will benefit from being honest with yourself about how the change is impacting you. It can be keeping a personal journal like the one I wrote after leaving Minnesota or making time to talk with a good friend about how you are dealing with the changes you are going through. 

Regardless of how you self-reflect, we each need space to think about where we have come from, where we are going and what we want to take with us in our next season – whether a stage in life or project at work. In this self-reflection, you may also find bad habits have prevented you from having the impact you originally envisioned. If that’s the case, you may start by reflecting on the simple connection between your calendar and your purpose. Did the way you spent your time reflect that “something larger” that you want to impact? If you fell short, which we all do, take time to reflect on the good habits you want to put in place to improve in the next season.  

Often the missing habits won’t be surprising (e.g. consistently getting enough sleep or learning to say “no” to your boss’ requests for commitments outside your current project), but the ability to improve these habits may be confusing. Cashman is correct, that our “deepest held values” play a significant part of fueling our purpose. If you are struggling to overcome a bad habit, go back to these values to help you remember the “something larger” that you want to achieve through your habits. Beyond this “something larger” you must find other external influences from other people to provide accountability that encourages your good habits. In my next post, I plan to explore the role that a personal support network plays in providing this accountability.   

In the meantime, I welcome your comments on self-reflection. 

How has self-reflection helped your ability to stay aligned with your larger purpose? 

What are the most effective ways you've found to be self reflective?



Originally published here via LinkedIn on August 4, 2017

Habits Fuel Purpose

In my previous post on resilience, I noted the importance of purpose in empowering anyone to successfully emerge from any change. Purpose gives us power to “focus beyond our immediate circumstances or feelings.” The good news is that purpose not only calls us outside of our immediate context, but there are habits that can improve our ability to stay in the path of purpose. One of those habits is that of self-reflection.

We are in danger of wasting our change, if don’t give ourselves space to reflect on how the change is impacting us personally.

This doesn’t require going on a two-day private retreat in the woods, but can simply be daily habits of journaling and quiet meditation – regularly giving ourselves a few minutes to pause and reflect. The importance of purpose came home to me as I rolled away from our home in Minnesota this past summer of 2016. 

Our two years in Minnesota had not only been rich in relationships, but also surprisingly short. God has been very clear that there were many good reasons He was calling us to a global popcorn adventure in China, more details on that here. However, there was real grief from leaving the intimacy of our known communities in Minnesota for numerous unknowns in China.      

As the moving truck rolled down the road to leave Minneapolis, I said a silent prayer. I asked God for equal parts grief and faith – “Help me to mourn the loss of a season that was so sweet with countless evidences of your care for our family.” I also asked for God’s practical help - “Help me also to see how to take what I’ve learned in Minnesota and carry it with me to where you are calling our family next.” 

As I jotted this prayer down in my personal journal I began to realize that there were habits I had cultivated in Minnesota that I want to carry with me to China, including:

• 1) Having “off-line” time each morning and evening for daily meditation and reflection
• 2) Making time every month for consistent "Daddy Dates" with each of our four kids 
• 3) Regularly connecting with men who want to better lead their families and communities 

Not surprisingly, I quickly noted that each of these three habits were connected to three key areas of my purpose – personal development, family relationships and community impact. As I began to reflect on this connection, I realized that

purpose fuels habits

In other words, our ability to focus beyond our immediate circumstances or emotions doesn’t just happen by accident; it must be cultivated in our daily lives. At the same time these habits can’t survive on their own – as though I could simply will myself to a commitment of 30 minutes in “off-line” meditation every day. This habit of meditation will cease to be meaningful, if it is not connected to a larger purpose.

In the next post, I will further explore this connection between purpose and habits, especially as it relates to practical matters like how we spend our time. In the meantime, I am curious to hear the perspective of others. 

Do habits help fuel your larger purpose? If so, which habits are most important? 

What practical steps have helped you to form habits connected to your purpose?

Originally published here via LinkedIn on May 1, 2017

Old Roads Guide Purpose: Change Management in Daily Life

My last post highlighted the importance of resiliency in coming through any type of change stronger than you entered it. I was encouraged to see how the post resonated with others as people shared their own comments and it was re-posted. 

In a nutshell, one key source of resiliency is purpose, which can be described as taking a focus that is "beyond our immediate circumstances or feelings.” 

Artists often tell stories that clarify abstract concepts like purpose. In this "You'll Find Your Way" video songwriter Andrew Peterson illustrates the importance of purpose in our personal lives, especially in parenting our children. When we call our children to return to the time tested " old roads", we are encouraging them to look beyond their "fields of joy" and "dark nights". This ability to look at the bigger picture beyond our personal circumstances is crucial to developing resiliency.

Take a few minutes to enjoy the video and then check out the thoughtful responses to my last post on purpose. I’d love to see additional comments on either post.

Originally Published Here via LinkedIn on March 6, 2017

Resilience Starts with Purpose: Change Management in Daily Life

This is my first post in a series on how to make change management practical.  

Change management is typically used in a corporate context and focuses on what employees need to return to normal when their company adopts a new system or makes structural changes, However, I believe there are principles in change management that can help anyone come out stronger on the other side of any kind of change. 

To learn more about the background of my current change journey of moving from a role as a program management role in the U.S. to the Asia Director for the America's largest popcorn exporter in far Northwestern China, check out my Asia Popcorn Adventure blog post.  To make things even more interesting, I am going through this change with my wife of nearly 19 years and our 4 children - ages 14 to 4.  

The focus of this post is resilience, which Joan Loshek of Loshek Consulting has helpfully defined as 

"The ability to survive and thrive when faced with challenges."

From my most recent experience facing challenges is not easy and we are typically ill equipped on how to survive them without going crazy.  Thriving through such changes is even less common.  Yet, change is everywhere - whether we like it or not.  Yes, not everyone moves their family from the U.S. to China, but everyone must move from one season of life to another; from one job to another or one community to another.

My plea is simple - Don’t waste your change.  

Properly grieve and go through all of the emotional calisthenics of change, yet build up your resiliency muscles.  Loshek Consulting is wise to remind us that one of the key characteristics of resilient people is purpose.  Purpose is at the heart of resiliency because it calls us to continually focus beyond our immediate circumstances or feelings.  Don't shipwreck the success of the change you are going through by focusing on your past circumstances or your present emotions about your current circumstances.  

In my next post, I will share ways I was able to make purpose practical when beginning my latest change. 

Until then, I'd be interested to know - What role does purpose play when you lead or go through changes in your own life?  

Ending Well by Letting Go

Like any good story, you need to start with the back story.  Below is a short essay I wrote about the untimely death of a man who has made a huge impact on my life in a short period of time.  I've known few people who have faced untimely deaths in my short life - I turn 40 this fall and would still like to think of that as relatively young.  Yet, in the past two years, while living in Minnesota, I've had the tremendous opportunity to cross paths with Larry Strandquist at church.

Not only have Larry and his wife Linda deeply impacted my wife, Emily, and I, but their broader family have as well.  Their son in law and one of their own sons have been our small group leaders and provided invaluable counsel and care through two dramatic seasons of change in the life of our family.  When Emily and I visited Larry and his wife on June 9, we knew Larry was very sick with cancer, but we had no idea he would pass away nearly a week later.

Our last meeting with Larry made such an impact on us that I had to capture it in a short essay.  I share it with Linda's permission in the hope that it causes each of us to think about the fact our lives are so very short and that each of us need to entrust our lives every day to God's greater purposes - even if it means pushing into things that are very uncomfortable - from something as trivial as a flat tire that messes up your daily schedule to something as monumental as death.

I took a deep breath and embraced my discomfort at the thought of encountering death face to face.  We walked into the bedroom where Larry lay dying; his body shrunk to a shadow of the man I had seen only one month prior.  Yet, in the midst of this wasting away, Larry radiated with hope; his eyes bright.

I thanked Larry for teaching me how to suffer well; continually seeking God in the midst of trials to better understand God's heart for His children.  When I was unemployed for 9 months Larry had been valiantly battling cancer and was a great encouragement to me in my hardship that paled in comparison to his.  Larry's eyes lit up at my mention of his encouragement and his smiled grew as he said "I learned that lesson a long time ago; you have to learn to let go."  He elaborated by sharing that one call to "let go" only lead to another.  From being laid off to then breaking his wrist and then seeing God provide caretaker jobs for he and Linda, Larry shared that learning to "let go" in that season had aided his ability to "let go" in his struggle with cancer.  Larry led a surrendered life - striving to make the most of life and yet haven given up a desire for ultimate control over it.  That control had been given over to the only One who is the Lord over all of life.

Larry's finishing well struck a somber reminder in my "well planned" life - "Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand." (Proverbs 19:21)  Plans are good - whether Larry's plans to conquer cancer a second time or my family's plans to set up life in China for a third time - but only God's purposes are ultimate.  O, how each of us needs to learn to cultivate the daily habit of surrender; not a giving up of our planning or hopes, but the daily act of handing them over to the Only One who has complete control.  

O, that moment by moment we might cultivate the ability to let God "mess up" our plans, to achieve His eternal purposes that are far greater and draw our hearts deeper to Him than we could ever imagine.  This cultivation of an on-going balance between ambition and humility is one of the key life lessons that Larry taught me.  For Larry and I only Jesus can help us provide that balance as He was the only person who ever had complete control over His life and yet said "No one takes it [his life] from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.  I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again."  It's the recognition that Jesus is in complete control that ultimately provides the balance to compel me forward into an unknown future that He will establish - an all-knowing and all-powerful God.  Indeed we all need to cultivate this balance of humility and ambition, if we are to truly "let go" of our lives that we might find them again."

My Asia Popcorn Adventure

Since completing my MBA in 2007, I have had the opportunity to lead projects in diverse settings - from sales training at HSBC Bank to supply chain process improvement at Cisco Systems and from HR system implementation at Medtronic to marriage and family community classes in Shanghai.  The end goal of all my program and change management has been the same - measurable improvement.  Improvement is seen as people embrace change, whether it's a buyer using a new supplier negotiations framework or a husband breaking a bad habit of interrupting his wife.  Indeed, program and change management can can be applied in any industry, function or area of life - even popcorn.

 

On February 29, 2016 I embarked on the unexpected professional venture of selling popcorn across Asia. Building on my global operations program and change management experience, I will be building out sales operations and business development capabilities across Asia through my role as Asia Director at Preferred Popcorn.  Preferred is the largest U.S. exporter of popcorn (selling to over 50 countries, including more than 10 in Asia) and the third largest producer of popcorn in the U.S.

 

 

Preferred Popcorn CEO, Norm Krug, and Assistant VP of Production, Sam Krug After My First Two Weeks at Preferred on March 11, 2016

 

Three Reasons I Jumped Into Popcorn - A Compelling Mission, A Versatile Product and Change Opportunities in Asia:

 

1. A Compelling Mission: The Preferred Popcorn backstory is remarkable and worthy of a separate post. The end result is summarized in the company mission of "Striving to honor God by producing high-quality products and serving customers with integrity."  This values-based mission not only aligns with my personal desire to honor God in all I do, but also my passion for creating quality products and driving exceptional customer service.
2. A Versatile and Healthy Product: I've been a fan of popcorn since I was a kid and our family eats copious amounts of popcorn on a weekly basis. What's more, this snack product can take on numerous forms – from the sweet caramel corn made by the gourmet popcorn maker Garrett's to the light and healthy Skinny Pop that satisfies consumers' demand for healthier snacks.  Moreover, popcorn can be a healthy snack as detailed in this article by the Popcorn Board.
3. Change Opportunities in Asia: Although popcorn has a steady hold on the American snack market at roughly a 10% market share, it's adoption in Asia is in the single digits where it is largely seen as a treat that accompanies trips to the movie theater or high end gourmet popcorn shops. While it has also been a street snack, the quality of this popcorn is a far cry from what we have in the US. There is an opportunity to change the way families snack by increasing their consumption of healthy popcorn in their homes as well as opportunities to take popcorn into more markets in Asia.

 

What's Next - Leaving Minnesota for a Global Adventure

On June 10, my family and I will begin our global popcorn adventure. We will leave Minnesota and spend much of the summer in Nebraska, where the company's headquarters are located.  Our plan is to relocate to China in the late summer. If you are in the Twin Cities, please you are welcome to join my popcorn happy hour send off on June 7 – RSVP using this eVite link. If you are not, please stay in touch through LinkedIn.