How good is good enough?

I am writing this post after an inspiring conversation with Ken, my editor. We both had worked into the morning hours finishing our respective homework before our 10 a.m. Starbucks meeting.


Around 3 a.m., I paused for a few minutes wondering how we would know when my book is finished. How good is good enough? From my experience, when you think something is finished you still have a way to go; there is always something to change to make it better.


I remember a story about the making of Michael Jackson's Thriller. After he and Quincy Jones recorded the songs, they listened to the entire album and cut the three songs they liked the least. Michael wrote three new ones including the number one single 'Beat It.' I have borrowed this approach to upgrade the stories in my book. How did they know three was the right number of songs to replace before the album was finished? 


I will keep editing until the edits are less valuable than what they are replacing. At that point, quality will speak for itself and good will turn into great. Great is good enough. 


Phil

Be Careful What You Wish For

When I was 11 years old, I watched a TV show called Make a Wish.  I recall it being the only program on Sunday mornings that was made for kids. Each show profiled a different topic such as an animal, an invention, or an occupation. Tom Chapin (brother of musician Harry) was the host who narrated film clips and sang songs about that week's topic. Make a Wish opened with Tom singing the title song that had empowering lyrics about pursuing your dreams. I think I liked the song more than the show and often sang the first few lines of the title song:


"Make a wish, have a ball, dream a dream, be it all, 
If you want it, you can get it, but to get it, you've got to want it,
Anything you want to try, just let go, fly high,
Make a wish."  


Make a Wish came to mind when I caught myself wishing for my detailed editing work to be over. It's been a long haul and day and night editing loses its novelty over many weeks. I immediately caught myself because the experience of writing is part of my "wish," where learning a new craft and articulating my beliefs on change management are as important as the completed book. The old adage, "be careful what you wish for because it might come true," is good council for most aspects of life, including this one. Wishing that a part of an incredible lifetime experience is over is missing the point. I am "having a ball" and "being it all," so I must remember that it's all good.


Phil

Where's the Better Future?

Last week, I heard that Ontario Place, a recreational park started in 1971, was closing. This saddens me because two eras of my life were closely linked to this attraction. I worked there for two summers while in university and visited every summer as our boys were growing up.

1981 - I'm second from the right

I worked with 10 guys in the boutiques department, pricing and delivering merchandise to the stores on site. The warehouse was the first 'man cave' I had seen. It was located in the maintenance compound away from the public so we were free to talk, laugh, and play music all day long. The grounds included an open-air forum where musical acts played nightly. As a staff member, I got to see many diverse bands for free, including Blondie, The Spinners and Gato Barbieri. With 500 young people on staff, the parties were great, too. 


One winter I also worked in the Cinesphere, which was the first permanent Imax theatre. My first paid public speaking job was welcoming people to the show and proclaiming the benefits of Imax technology - my first sales pitch. I remember the lights were so bright that I couldn't see the audience.


Nostalgia for Ontario Place came early. In my late twenties my friend Dan, a fellow OP warehouse worker, and I planted a time capsule on site that we buried under a pine tree we bought for the occasion. It was our toast to a great place that sparked our great friendship. 

2004 - Charlie and Sam

As soon as our boys could walk we took them to Ontario Place. They loved the water park and rides just like the kids I saw while working there. I also smiled at staff members, knowing the fun summers they were having.   


My most recent memory of Ontario Place was last week when I ran by the front entrance. It still looked great. 


So what does this have to do with writing a book on change management? First, there is loss with change and you have to acknowledge it. Second, usually there are good reasons for making big organizational changes. Ontario Place has been operated with a 20 million dollar deficit for years and the provincial government could no longer justify the cost, which I support.Third, a picture of a better future is important to help people deal with their losses. A task force has been set up to look at options for the site. Without a clear picture of the future, the only thing known is the loss.  This I do not support.


Phil

Back in the Saddle Again

Self Portrait

Recently, I took on a consulting assignment to co-design and facilitate a two-day team meeting. Why did I do it? First, I had worked with the leader before and knew it would be fun.  Second, it's been a while since I worked on a change project and I didn't want to become rusty. Third, based on an initial phone briefing I knew I could help.


Getting dressed for my first meeting I remembered that tying ties is not a strength. Wearing a suit, however, felt good. As I entered the office building I felt 'corporate.' As I waited in the lobby I mused that these spaces are the same around the world - the seating area layout,  employees briskly walking with purpose, a courier dropping off a package, and a receptionist directing a call - I could have been in any city.  In the meeting, I could feel energy. There was a puzzle that needed solving and we were gathering pieces to do so. As I drove home, my mind was full of questions, facts, and possibilities. I was alive.


There is a unique confidence felt when doing something you have done successfully many times before: you know the raw materials, you can sense what works and what doesn't, and you don't stop until you get it right. This is how I felt when I was working on the design. Facilitating was great, too. Interacting with a team reminded me how much people have to give. 

Setting Up

After the event I made the following notes:

- Everything effects mood, e.g., location, tone, pacing, language, etc.
- People can't absorb all the information they are given (no matter how you give it to them)
- Individuals need to be understood and validated (including me)
- Energy is contagious
- A team with a common goal is extremely powerful
- Change work is exhausting 
- Helping people build a better future is the biggest thrill 

Now it's back to editing my second draft and writing additional stories. I have missed my book over the past couple of days. Would I take on another assignment? Absolutely, if it had the same elements as this one. You always get more than you give.


Phil