The Indiefield Blog

None of us like to get hurt and we work hard to protect ourselves. For some people getting hurt means a client that is not satisfied no matter how hard you tried to please them; for others it is a boss that called out a mistake on a project. But the question I am asking is what does it really cost to project yourself? What does it cost to duck down and avoid the hit? All the time ducking and hiding could stop you stretching and growing. So forgive the client that was annoyed. Forgive the tactless boss. Focus on how great you are because ducking and diving is no good for anyone.

These ready-made cheese balls are very successful because they are loved by kids and adults and are the ultimate lunchbox snack - convenient, 100% real cheese, free from added colours, flavours, and preservatives - and they are fun! They were born in mini form in 1977 and have been a best seller ever since. So don't try to be the next Mini Babybel. That ship has sailed. Instead find out who you are and be that.

You come in on time, sometimes even early; you do everything as described in your job description and everything that your boss asks, you deliver for clients and are hardworking and loyal. You could be asking to do more than you believe you are ready for. To work on understanding what your agenda is; you could be trying to go faster and working on your legacy. Creating a world where you are the absolute linchpin of the company. I wonder what someone with all the potential you have inside you would be doing...

Once the innovation is over isn't this when the great work can begin? I don’t know who invented the piano but I do know it wasn’t Beethoven. It's only when the technorati get out of the way that the great work can really begin. The real work is about doing something that lasts and that matters. It's about connecting with others and delivering an impact that lasts. So by all means show me the next big thing but don’t be upset if I am still busy on the old big thing.

Which matters most – facts or feelings?

How do you deal with someone who disagrees with you?

Are you able to cope with multiple viewpoints?

Can you give someone else the credit?

Are you willing to change your mind?

Are there many pathways to your goal? (Bonus points if you have a goal!)

It costs a fortune to take time out and go to conferences, and other than having a blast with friends why go? Yes there are the presentations, the research papers, the innovations, and the crowded parties. Do you remember them all? I don't. So I don't do them (so go ahead and have all the fun without me). However I do remember the engaging conversations and learning through those one-on-one discussions about projects people are working on and their new book ideas - so do more of that. Seek out the great engaged conversations and the special interactions that matter.

It's easy to work lots of extra hours so that you reduce the number of tasks you have to do so that you are in control of everything and reduce your self-induced stress. But maybe sometimes it's good to feel a bit of stress to push us into a new way of thinking about how to approach things, to force ourselves to innovate, to free ourselves from the shackles of targeting reduced anxiety and forcing us onto a new and better approach.

I don't like the term "unskilled labour". It is the skills someone has that everyone possesses and is therefore devalued. Obviously skills matter - the more skills you have the higher you are likely to achieve. But unskilled still needs a re-brand.

Everyone is happier and more productive when they are trusted. It encourages co-operation between people and organisations. We like museums that let us stand near the artwork, police that don't stop and search us, restaurants that give us the bill at the end of the meal. But some companies cannot rely on trust and genuine good intentions. Banks must behave as is every transaction is a fraudulent one - it annoys us when our cards are stopped because of "unusual spending" but the banks know that people do get scammed and they behave accordingly. That trust / don't trust decision is something we all face every day. We automatically make assumptions about whether promises will be broken, how trustworthy a supplier is, how reliable the service will be. In every sector (apart from banking) it is probably better to trust than not to. You are more likely to get the result you need.

And isn't that all that matters? Being famous in your group or your tribe? I mean I know Andy Warhol predicted that everyone will have their 15 minutes of fame but what if we already do. Maybe just being known (and loved) by the people that matter most is, in the end, all that matters.