Insights can be really helpful, especially when we face challenges. When I seek advice from those I respect, I often have that forehead-slapping moment where I think, "I knew that!" or "Duh!". When that happens I write down what I just learned. Here's some of what I've come up with.
- Good enough usually is.
- When I want to feel good, I ask myself what I want. I'm the world's expert on Me.
- There's good news and there's bad news. Sometimes the hard part is figuring out which is which. Sometimes the same news is both.
- People tend to believe they know what other people are thinking.
- I can't possibly know what you're thinking. Mastering ESP is still on my To Do list.
- Whenever I make a mistake, I remind myself that I probably didn't invent that particular way to goof up.
- Nodding understandingly goes a long way, but only if you actually do understand.
- The nastiest thing about nasty problems is not that they don't go away when you refuse to deal with them. It's that they get worse.
- If you don't have a plan you can't follow it.
- Plan for today first. Planning for the distant future is worth less the more distant the future is.
- Kids know way more
than they get credit
for. Way more.Most people do their best. When it seems otherwise, maybe you just don't get it. - Kids know way more than they get credit for. Way more.
- Deceiving others is difficult, especially if they're your kids.
- Dogs never ask you how you're doing because they already know.
- What fits for me might not fit for you. What fits for you might not fit for me.
- When someone speaks from the heart, listen to the beat.
- Experience eventually leads to wisdom. Some people require more experiences than others.
- That voice in your head that tells you you're messed up is usually coming from the part that's the most messed up.
- Feeling embarrassed is a waste. Most people are too busy worrying about themselves to notice.
- Speaking your own No is more powerful than repeating anybody else's Yes.
- If you don't like your choices, choose to look for more choices.
- Even though you know your favorite flavor of ice cream, try one of the others now and then.
- It's a lot easier to stay out of trouble than it is to get out of trouble.
- Attributing significance or intention to other people's mistakes is often a mistake.
- Lots of people have been through really terrible things that they don't talk about. It's safest to assume that everyone deserves your respect and admiration.
- You don't always get back what you give. But since we can't really measure that, feeling slighted might be unwise.
- A human being is a wonder. You are a human being.
I could go on, but maybe you're wondering what your own list would look like if you wrote it down. You can find out. Next in this series Top Next Issue
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Related articles
More articles on Ethics at Work:
- Ethical Influence: II
- When we influence others as they're making tough decisions, it's easy to enter a gray area. How can
we be certain that our influence isn't manipulation? How can we influence others ethically?
- On the Appearance of Impropriety
- Avoiding the appearance of impropriety is a frequent basis of business decisions. What does this mean,
what are the consequences of such avoiding, and when is it an appropriate choice?
- On Reporting Workplace Malpractice
- Reporting workplace malpractice can be the right thing to do. And it's often career-dangerous. Here
are some risks to ponder before reporting what you know.
- Appearance Anti-patterns: II
- When we make decisions based on appearance we risk making errors. We create hostile work environments,
disappoint our customers, and create inefficient processes. Maintaining congruence between the appearance
and the substance of things can help.
- Personal Boundaries at Work
- We often speak of setting boundaries at work — limitations on what we can reasonably ask of each
other. We speak of them, but we don't always honor them. They can be easier to remember and honor if
we regard them as freedoms rather than boundaries.
See also Ethics at Work for more related articles.
Forthcoming issues of Point Lookout
- Coming April 24: Antipatterns for Time-Constrained Communication: 1
- Knowing how to recognize just a few patterns that can lead to miscommunication can be helpful in reducing the incidence of problems. Here is Part 1 of a collection of communication antipatterns that arise in technical communication under time pressure. Available here and by RSS on April 24.
- And on May 1: Antipatterns for Time-Constrained Communication: 2
- Recognizing just a few patterns that can lead to miscommunication can reduce the incidence of problems. Here is Part 2 of a collection of antipatterns that arise in technical communication under time pressure, emphasizing those that depend on content. Available here and by RSS on May 1.
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