Reality Check: Joe’s New Job

Posted on August 7, 2016 by RealityCheck

Joe’s employment history could be described as “spotty.” It’s not that he can’t find work; Joe is able to get hired relatively easily. He’s articulate and presents himself in an interview as being pleasant and intelligent.

However, Joe has developed a pattern of starting jobs and then soon leaving. Here’s how it goes.

Joe starts a new job with enthusiasm. Then something happens—Joe begins to perceive that people aren’t doing their jobs properly. His co-workers don’t do things right. The manager isn’t doing things right. Joe is certain that if he were in charge, everything would be much better. He should have the boss’s job! Continue reading →

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Reality Check: Can I Ruin Your Vacation?

Posted on July 31, 2016 by RealityCheck

Just to be clear, I don’t want to ruin your vacation! Nor am I asking, “May I ruin your vacation?” as in, “Will you give me permission to ruin your vacation?”

No, my question is, “Do I have the ability to ruin your vacation?”

You might wonder, “Why would she want to ruin my vacation?” I don’t, of course. However, look around. You could reasonably conclude that some folks just want to ruin somebody else’s good time. Continue reading →

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Reality Check: The Elevator Problem

Posted on July 24, 2016 by RealityCheck

Regardless of your occupation or your life situation, you will always find some kind of problems. So, the ability to solve problems is a valuable skill to develop.

An early step in most problem-solving processes is “define the problem.” Now, you’d think that defining the problem would be the easy part, wouldn’t you? Yet, that’s not necessarily so.

While I was researching problem-solving, I came across a video by H. Scott Fogler of the University of Michigan. He tells an elevator story that goes something like this:

Once upon a time, several floors were added to the top of a hotel. With that expansion came new elevators. Continue reading →

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Reality Check: Going My Way?

Posted on July 17, 2016 by RealityCheck

Are you stressed? Most of us feel stressed some of the time. Some feel stressed all of the time.

One perception of stress is that it’s caused by things outside of us that we can’t control. Whether it’s our jobs, spouses, politicians, families, economy, or the cat, stress just goes on and on.

I came across a video presentation recently that gave me a little different perspective. I found it helpful; maybe you will, too! Continue reading →

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Reality Check: Change–Like It or Not, Part 2

Posted on July 10, 2016 by RealityCheck

According to Rick Maurer, resistance to change occurs on several levels. Last column, I indicated that one level is intellectual—“I don’t understand it.” That resistance can be addressed by providing information and engaging in logical discussions.

The second level of resistance is emotional—“I don’t like it” and it may stem from fear. Logical discussion isn’t going to help; you really need to address the fear. (More on that later.)

Maurer’s third resistance level is a more personal resistance, which can be expressed as “I don’t trust you.”

People distrust each other for plenty of reasons. Maybe I don’t trust you personally because of something that happened in the past between us. Perhaps I don’t trust you because your values are different from mine. Perhaps you’re management and I’m union. Or perhaps you’re from here, and I’m from there. Continue reading →

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Reality Check: Change–Like it or Not? Part 1

Posted on July 3, 2016 by RealityCheck

If you’re a person or group promoting a change that’s being met with opposition, it can be comforting to blame the opposition on the assertion “people don’t like change.”

When you believe that you are facing resistance because other people are stubborn or unenlightened, then you don’t have to question whether there’s a problem with the specific change you are promoting. You needn’t examine why you’ve been unable to persuade. You can contentedly believe that it’s human nature to resist. It’s not you; it’s them.

In “Take Charge of Your Life,” Dr. Wm. Glasser writes, “One of the most difficult lessons to master as we struggle to create effective change is to learn not to label something as bad just because it is different from what we want.”

Whether you are the person promoting change, or the person who perceives that they are being subjected to change, it’s easy to label the other side as evil or wrong because they don’t agree with us.

However, if we accuse our dissenters of being angry, uninformed, or backward, then regardless of the merit of the change, it’s not too likely that they will ever turn into enthusiastic supporters! Continue reading →

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Reality Check: I Heard a Story

Posted on June 26, 2016 by RealityCheck

I heard a story recently. Here’s how it goes:

“When mom was admitted to the hospital, the nurse asked me to come in and show them how I handle mom’s feeding tube.”

What was your first reaction to that statement? Were you shocked? Pleased? Disgusted? Delighted? Confused? Continue reading →

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Reality Check: Making Your Meaning

Posted on June 19, 2016 by RealityCheck

Sir Christopher Wren, architect and cathedral-designer, is associated with a story of three bricklayers. A cathedral was under construction, and three bricklayers were asked, “What are you doing?”

The guy who was crouched over answered, “I’m working.”

The guy who was half-standing answered, “I’m building a wall.”

The guy who was standing tall, working hard and fast, answered, “I’m building a cathedral!”

Which of those three bricklayers would you imagine was the happiest at his work?

Which of the three bricklayers do you think was the most productive? Continue reading →

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Reality Check: Lessons from Puzzles

Posted on June 12, 2016 by RealityCheck

You might recognize the name Will Shortz if you are a puzzle enthusiast. Mr. Shortz is the New York Times Crossword Puzzle editor and he knows a thing or two about puzzles.

Life can sometimes seem like a puzzle. When I came across an essay by Shortz on how to solve the Times crossword, it seemed to me that many of his tips applied to more than puzzles. Here are some of them; let’s see what you think! Continue reading →

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Reality Check: Wisdom from Whys

Posted on June 5, 2016 by RealityCheck

The “5 Whys” is a technique that’s sometimes used in workplaces to analyze and solve problems. We use 5 Whys because it can help us figure out the “the root cause” of a problem.

The root cause is like the little seed from which a problem starts. If you can find and correct that root cause, then you truly solve the problem; it won’t be back to bother you again.

Correcting the root cause is different from simply dealing with the symptoms of the problem. While correcting symptoms can have value, it doesn’t ensure that the problem won’t come back.

The 5 Whys technique is straightforward. Define the problem, and then ask, “Why is this happening?” Pretty simple, eh? Continue reading →

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