Scott Monty

Why You Need to Put the Past in Context

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The Declaration of Independence. The Constitution. The Bill of Rights. President Ronald Reagan's speech card from remarks made in Berlin, Germany in June 1987. The arrest warrant for Lee Harvey Oswald. <br />
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These are just some of the artifacts you'll find inside of the National Archives in Washington, DC. <br />
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But step outside, and there's something even more impressive: <a href="https://prologue.blogs.archives.gov/2018/05/22/the-national-archives-larger-than-life-statues/" target="_blank">four sculptures</a> that tower nearly 25 feet above ground. And three of them are relevant for our story today: Past, Future, and Heritage. <br />
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On the face of the pedestal of each statue is a different quote, unattributed. Each has relevance to what we need to keep in mind in marketing and business today. <br />
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How different the world is today – and how little humans have changed.</div>
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<h2>
<b>Step Into My Past</b></h2>
When I was an undergraduate at Boston University, I majored in classical civilization – the study of ancient Greek and Roman culture. I was exposed to the greats of philosophy, history, biography, drama, architecture and more. And yet it's only been in recent years that I've come to deeply appreciate my education. <br />
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One of my courses was "Classical Tradition in American Culture," taught by the venerable <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meyer_Reinhold" target="_blank">Meyer Reinhold</a>, who was already in advanced years at the time. In this class, we explored the various classical works that influenced the Founding Fathers, from the documents they crafted to found the country, to the art and architecture in cities throughout America in the late 18th century. <br />
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My thesis was on classical sculpture in the Federal Triangle in Washington, DC, and that naturally led me to the National Archives building. <br />
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And just as Jefferson, Madison, Adams, Hamilton and others took their inspiration from ancient civilizations and those of more recent history, the statues at the National Archives, carved in the 1920s are also a throwback. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>How different the world is today – and how little humans have changed.</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">[<a href="https://ctt.ac/xAca8" target="_blank">Click to tweet this quote</a>]</span></div>
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<h2>
<b>Past. Future. Heritage. </b></h2>
<i>Past </i>is an old man gazing down the corridors of time. On his lap is a closed book representing history. And inscribed on the front of the supporting pedestal is a paraphrase of Confucius that reads: “Study the Past.” The original from the ancient Chinese philosopher is "Study the past if you wish to divine the future."<br />
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<i>Future </i>is young woman gazing forward, contemplating the things to come. She holds an open book, symbolizing a story that is not yet written. On the pedestal beneath is carved "What is Past is Prologue," from William Shakespeare's <i>The Tempest</i>. <br />
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And finally there's <i>Heritage</i>, a woman wearing a snake-bordered robe, holding a child in one arm and an urn of ashes in the other, with wheat in the background. This symbolizes our country, future generations, and past generations. The quote on this pedestal is from abolitionist  Wendell Phillips: “The heritage of the past is the seed that brings forth the harvest of the future." <br />
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In each case, we're told to pay attention to what has happened before our time, for it's there that we can find the key to unlock the secrets of the future. <br />
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">"To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to remain always a child."</span></i></b> </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">– Cicero [<a href="https://ctt.ac/gd8fx" target="_blank">Tweet this quote</a>]</span></div>
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How many of us marvel at the technology that powers so much of our lives today? The cars we drive. The mini-computers we carry in our pockets. The words you're reading right now that I published over the Internet. <br />
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But behind all of that are time-tested needs and behaviors of humans that we've had since the very beginning of history. If we stop and take the time to understand the underlying motivations and machinations that drive busy consumers, we'll find that we still want the same things we always have.</div>
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There's no need to reinvent what already exists, whether it's from an ancient philosophy text or a business practice from the 1940s (you'll recall <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/2018/08/the-fuller-brush-credo.html" target="_blank">the Fuller Brush Credo</a> from a few weeks ago).<br />
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And then we can dispense with shiny object syndrome, or recreating a process or campaign that's been done before. If we can repurpose historical knowledge and events, giving it context to the world around us today, we can save time – and be sure that we're not just fad-chasing. </div>
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Well class, that's it for today's history lesson. In our next installment, I'll be moving on to give you some examples of how all of this plays out in the retail industry today.<br />
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Why You Need to Put the Past in Context

The Declaration of Independence. The Constitution. The Bill of Rights. President Ronald Reagan's speech card from remarks made in Ber...

Strategy and Newton's Laws of Motion

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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">George Arents Collection, The New York Public Library. "<a href="http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e4-2668-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99" target="_blank">Zig-zag approaches</a>." The New York Public Library Digital Collections.</span></i></div>
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We've all heard of <b>Sir Isaac Newton</b>'s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newton%27s_laws_of_motion" target="_blank">three laws of motion</a> in colloquial language ("a body in motion stays in motion," etc.).<br />
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Here they are, taken directly from his <i>Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy</i><sup>1</sup>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Law 1</b><br />
Every body continues in its state of rest, or of uniform motion in a right line, unless is it compelled to change that state by forces impressed upon it.<br />
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<b>Law 2</b><br />
The change of motion is proportional to the motive force impressed; and is made in the direction of the right line in which that force is impressed.<br />
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<b>Law 3</b><br />
To every action there is always opposed an equal reaction; or, the mutual actions of two bodies upon each other are always equal, and directed to contrary parts.</blockquote>
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While these axioms specifically address physical objects and their movement, they also apply to how businesses behave.<br />
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For example, a company will keep on doing the same thing, absent any kind of external force on it (<b>Law 1</b>). Corrective actions that a business takes will typically be in proportional response to an external force (<b>Law 2</b>). For example, prices will rise proportional to the level of supplier price increases. And typically companies will retreat in the opposite direction of an impact (<b>Law 3</b>); think of Facebook's constant retreat at public outcry of its privacy policies early on.<br />
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It seems like companies are in a constant state of back-and-forth on following trends, using different marketing techniques, etc. So that for every "let's pivot to video!" there's also a "let's get back to the basics of email." It's like a pendulum swinging from one side to the other.<br />
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Which is why, while I was at Ford, so much of our communications and marketing efforts amounted to zigging while the competition was zagging. As soon as the other automakers picked up on what we were doing, we'd be off in another direction (<b>Law 3</b>).<br />
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But because there will always be external forces, business can't act like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newton%27s_cradle" target="_blank">Newton's cradle</a>. Eventually that energy runs out, and the objects settle in the middle.<br />
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Be prepared for wild swings in your industry and your company. But use that center area to keep your strategy grounded as the laws of motion hurl you from one side to another.<br />
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<sup>1</sup>Newton, Sir Isaac, "Axioms, or Laws of Motion," <i>34. <a href="https://amzn.to/314Y25L" target="_blank">Newton Huygens</a></i>, p. 14, <i><a href="https://amzn.to/2PQAroj" target="_blank">Great Books of the Western World</a></i>, Mortimer J. Adler, Associate Editor. Encyclopedia Britannica: Chicago, 1952.<br />
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Strategy and Newton's Laws of Motion

George Arents Collection, The New York Public Library. " Zig-zag approaches ." The New York Public Library Digital Collections....

Emotional Intelligence and the Power of Silence

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Who's a leader that has influenced you? <br />
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It could be someone famous, like a politician or business executive from the past or present. Or maybe you've got someone in mind who you worked with. <br />
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And what is it that makes them stand out to you? Maybe it's the way they spoke. Or how they were able to take something complex and <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/2018/08/simple-vs-complex-ill-take-simple-please.html" target="_blank">make it easier to understand</a>. <br />
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When you consider whatever those elements were, I'll almost guarantee that your inspiration had a high degree of <b>emotional intelligence</b>, or EQ. <br />
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For me, that leader was Andy Ferrara. Andy was my CEO at Boston Healthcare Associates and his leadership style was calm and reassuring. And the one trait that he displayed that captured my attention the most was his silence. <br />
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We'd all be in a meeting – the whole company – and he would just sit there, silently. <br />
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How does silence equate with great leadership? It's part of the makeup of emotional intelligence .<br />
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<h2>
<b>The Emotionally Intelligent Leader</b></h2>
We've discussed <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/2015/07/emotional-intelligence-should-be-easy.html" target="_blank">emotional intelligence</a> before – both here and on <a href="http://fullmontyshow.com/" target="_blank">The Full Monty</a> podcast (<a href="http://smonty.co/fullmonty11" target="_blank">Episode 11</a>).<br />
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You'll recall that taking stock of your own emotions and those of others takes a certain degree of maturity. And your emotional quotient, or your EQ, can be broken down into four key elements for shorthand: <br />
<ul>
<li>Self-awareness </li>
<li>Self-management </li>
<li>Social awareness (or empathy) </li>
<li>Relationship management </li>
</ul>
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Being a good leader means having a sense of the world around you and what your role in it should be. <br />
<br />
And often times, what you <i>don't</i> say speaks far more loudly than what you <i>do </i>say. <br />
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When so many bits of information are flying around, both online and off, and attention seems scattered, it's easy to offer a knee-jerk reaction and spout something off. We've seen "tweetstorms" from various executives. They're not pretty. <br />
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As an emotionally-intelligent leader, you should be aware of yourself, your colleagues, and your environment. Your colleagues and employees look to you to set an example, and when you're able to refrain from mouthing off, it shows that you're in control of yourself, which in turn demonstrates that you have the ability to be in control of your company. <br />
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<h2>
<b>Good Leaders Are Calming Forces</b></h2>
JDoris Kearns Goodwin's latest book <i><a href="https://amzn.to/39RZlJx" target="_blank"><b>Leadership in Turbulent Times</b></a></i> is almost a handbook on crisis management and leadership. In it, Goodwin draws conclusions from her previous researches on <b>Abraham Lincoln</b>, <b>Lyndon Johnson</b>, <b>Theodore Roosevelt</b> and <b>Franklin Delano Roosevelt</b>.<br />
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Namely, each of these presidents had the ability to be self-aware, self-reflective, to show humility, and to learn empathy through adversity. All hallmarks of emotionally-intelligent leaders. <br />
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But they also observed the situation around them and listened closely to their advisors – indeed, Lincoln even assembled his cabinet based on differing opinions. Goodwin's book on that was <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/2vC8AyD">Team of Rivals</a></b></i>. <br />
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So how was it that Andy's silent approach in meetings made him an exemplar for me? <br />
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When there was discussion about some topic that affected the company, Andy let everyone have their say. He didn't interject. He didn't interrupt. He just sat there and observed. <br />
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Only after everyone had spoken would Andy chime in. And he did so with great wisdom, having the benefit of being able to process the input and consider his words carefully. <br />
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If you think you need to have something to say about everything, think again. The quips, retorts, and wise cracks may be good in lighter situations, but when people look to you for leadership, they expect you to be a sage. <br />
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And being the wise one in the room means observing, taking in information, assessing the mood, and knowing how your reaction will be judged. In some cases, your absence of witticisms may be the wisest reaction.<br />
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It's something we've known for over 2,000 years:<br />
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">"Silence is one of the great arts of conversation." </span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>– Cicero </i>[<a href="https://ctt.ac/7k443" target="_blank">click to tweet</a>]</span></div>
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Think about that the next time you're tempted to immediately offer your not-so-humble opinion. <br />
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Remaining silent may be the one thing that speaks volumes.<br />
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Emotional Intelligence and the Power of Silence

The Voyage of Life - Old Age , 1842 by Thomas Cole (public domain - Wikipedia) Who's a leader that has influenced you? It coul...

The Lure of the Immediate

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It's easier than ever to be distracted.<br />
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Desktop, laptop, tablet, phone: each contains functions to interrupt us and grab our attention. Notifications, pop-ups, little red dots – each is designed to give us a virtual tap on the shoulder and refocus our attention to something that just happened.<br />
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It's not a new concept. Machiavelli recognized this fact in the 14th century:<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>"Men are so simple and so much inclined to obey immediate needs that a deceiver will never lack victims for his deceptions."</i></b> </span></div>
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[<a href="https://ctt.ac/281f3" target="_blank">Click to tweet this quote</a>]</div>
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And two pieces earlier this summer reminded me of this: <b>Seth Godin</b>'s advice to <a href="https://seths.blog/2018/07/walking-away-from-fast-twitch/" target="_blank">walk away from the fast twitch</a>, and a <b>Quartz </b>article on <a href="https://work.qz.com/1331152/how-to-manage-your-time-better-by-fighting-urgency-bias/" target="_blank">productivity being hurt by urgency bias</a>.<br />
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You know what you need to accomplish. What's most important. Distractions will only prevent you from focusing on that.<br />
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Sure, it feels good to know that others have liked your pictures, commented on your posts, or want to get in touch with you. But they don't have the benefit of seeing your to-do list or understanding your long-term goals.<br />
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It's easy to succumb to the seduction that some interruptions bring. But it's essential to <a href="https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/eisenhower-decision-matrix/" target="_blank">discern between the urgent and the important</a>.<br />
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Summed up, it's this: <b><i>what is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important</i></b>.<br />
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<i>Image credit: William Richard Gowers (1845-1915) [Public domain], via <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%27Knee_Jerk%27_from_W_R_Gowers%27_Manual_of_Diseases_of_the_Nervous_System_1886.jpg" target="_blank">Wikimedia Commons</a></i><br />
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The Lure of the Immediate

It's easier than ever to be distracted. Desktop, laptop, tablet, phone: each contains functions to interrupt us and grab our attent...

The Downside of Risk

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Companies are hotbeds of politics. <br />
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I don't mean politics as in government; I'm referring of course to the high-stakes games of hidden agendas, budget fights, and life-and-death struggles for power that plague the halls of large companies. <br />
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Oh, wait. That kind of <i>is </i>like government. <br />
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Whether you're in product development, communications, marketing, IT, or sales, you'll eventually run across one of the most intimidating and challenging groups any corporate executive has to deal with. These individuals will strike fear into you and make you rethink your entire career path to date. They live to wrangle facts and argue. <br />
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I'm of course referring to the legal department. <br />
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<h2>
<b>The Legal Department Means Well</b></h2>
The legal department exists to minimize risk to a company. When you're trying to develop a creative program and the legal team comes in and tells you all of the reasons why you can't do something, it's frustrating. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>The legal department's slogan should be: </i></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>We Put the 'No' in Innovation.</i></b></span></div>
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I used that line on the legal team at Ford Motor Company in my first meeting with them. They actually laughed, if you can believe it. <br />
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While at Ford, I realized that the corporate legal team was actually strategic ally, if given the chance. They wanted to help, not be a constant source of negativity. We learned that bringing them in early and engaging them in the creative process led to better outcomes for everyone. <br />
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But it's the unknown or potentially negative outcomes that hold us back. Being <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/2018/09/the-upside-of-vulnerability.html" target="_blank">vulnerable</a> haunts us. <br />
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William Arthur Ward summed up our fears in his poem "<b>To Risk</b>," and it goes like this:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
To laugh is to risk appearing a fool,<br />
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.<br />
To reach out to another is to risk involvement,<br />
To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self.<br />
To place your ideas and dreams before a crowd is to risk their loss.<br />
To love is to risk not being loved in return,<br />
To live is to risk dying,<br />
To hope is to risk despair,<br />
To try is to risk failure.<br />
<br />
But risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.<br />
The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing.<br />
He may avoid suffering and sorrow,<br />
But he cannot learn, feel, change, grow or live.<br />
Chained by his servitude he is a slave who has forfeited all freedom.<br />
Only a person who risks is free.<br />
<br />
The pessimist complains about the wind;<br />
The optimist expects it to change;<br />
And the realist adjusts the sails. </blockquote>
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<b>Risks Taken by Nike, Google, and CBS </b></h2>
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<b>Nike</b></h3>
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Nike launched its new ad, featuring the image of former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick and the words "Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything." It of course referred to Kaepernick's protest of police brutality by taking a knee during the National Anthem before football games, which he claims cost him his job in the NFL. <br />
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Wherever you stand on that particular issue, Nike made a clear statement. And in doing so, it risks losing (or gaining) market share and alienating (or attracting) customers. Was it a calculated risk? Almost certainly. <br />
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In the day following, Nike's stock sank, and photos and videos of disgruntled customers burning or destroying their Nike apparel made their way around the Internet. As of September 11, Nike's stock has now erased all of the losses associate with the ad. <br />
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<b>Google</b></h3>
Google chose not to attend the Senate hearings which Facebook and Twitter attended last week. In between Facebook COO Sheryl Sandburg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey was an empty chair and a nameplate that read "Google." <br />
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In doing so, it showed Google to be either clueless or filled with hubris. Sure, they avoided any difficult questions and the need to take a position on things. But they also run the risk of inviting more government scrutiny and oversight, if Senators think that Google has something to hide. <br />
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<b>CBS</b></h3>
And finally, the CBS board took a risk by protecting and retaining its CEO, Les Moones, following an explosive New Yorker article a few months ago. Six women claimed that the executive sexually harassed or assaulted them, and the board rallied around him. <br />
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Then on Sunday, Ronan Farrow - possibly the most powerful man in media now - wrote a second article about six more women who claimed the same thing. Moonves was allowed to resign and the board denied him the potential $100 million package that he was rumored to be in line for. <br />
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Each of those is an example of a risk taken by companies that could have elected to decide otherwise. Did it make them <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/2018/09/the-upside-of-vulnerability.html" target="_blank">vulnerable</a>? Absolutely. Was it worth it? <br />
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Well, you'll have to ask the shareholders.</div>
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<iframe allow="autoplay" frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/498900024&color=%232a77af&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=false" width="100%"></iframe><br /></div>
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<i>Image credit: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Voyage_of_Life#/media/File:Thomas_Cole,_The_Voyage_of_Life,_1842,_National_Gallery_of_Art.jpg">The Voyage of Life: Manhood</a> by Thomas Cole, 1842 (public domain, Wikimedia Commons)</i></div>

The Downside of Risk

Companies are hotbeds of politics. I don't mean politics as in government; I'm referring of course to the high-stakes games of ...

The Upside of Vulnerability

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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MGgVfa_sqdw/W5awDihjV_I/AAAAAAAA_50/9uNi0mEj7gUNRNwJUwSL9Dn9qQppQpOpgCLcBGAs/s1600/John_Henry_Fuseli_-_The_Nightmare.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="1110" height="518" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MGgVfa_sqdw/W5awDihjV_I/AAAAAAAA_50/9uNi0mEj7gUNRNwJUwSL9Dn9qQppQpOpgCLcBGAs/s640/John_Henry_Fuseli_-_The_Nightmare.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We risk so much by putting ourselves out there.<br />
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Experiencing failure or defeat. Admitting our weaknesses and flaws. Showing our more delicate and otherwise private feelings.<br />
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We fear rejection, humiliation, exposure, and "otherness."<br />
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What do we gain by holding back?<br />
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Usually, it's a short-term benefit: a personal sense of victory knowing that we've kept our secrets safe. A sense of strength, in that no one else knows how difficult things have been for us.<br />
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But deep down, we know we're putting up a façade. Perhaps, we think, we can outrun this mirage if we turn things around – no one will be the wiser.<br />
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Alternatively, what do we gain if we're open and vulnerable?<br />
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<span style="background: white;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">"When we were children, we used to think that
when we were grown-up we would no longer be vulnerable. But to grow up is to
accept vulnerability... To be alive is to be vulnerable." </span></i></b></span><br />
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–
Madeline L'Engle [<a href="https://ctt.ac/H5lCU" target="_blank">Click to tweet this quote</a>]</div>
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If we're not sure when things will turn around for us, we could be eaten up by anxiety at the fear of being exposed.<br />
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More than that though, we miss out on the opportunity to reveal who we are to others. To allow them to relate to us on a more visceral, human level.<br />
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Everyone has had challenges to deal with of some sort. Lost jobs, divorce, death, bankruptcy, failed business, flopped campaigns. By sharing your reality, it's entirely possible that you'll find someone else who experienced something similar and who can offer advice, kind words, or empathy.<br />
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It's easy to find friends, clients and customers when things are going well. It's when things take a downturn that you discover who your most loyal supporters are.<br />
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So maybe being vulnerable <span style="text-align: right;">– </span>some might call it being authentic <span style="text-align: right;">–</span> has its benefits.<br />
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The question you need to ask yourself is: "Am I worth it?"<br />
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<i><b>Image credit</b>: <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:John_Henry_Fuseli_-_The_Nightmare.JPG#/media/File:John_Henry_Fuseli_-_The_Nightmare.JPG" target="_blank">The Nightmare</a> by John Henry Fuseli, 1781 (Wikimedia Commons, public domain)</i><br />
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The Upside of Vulnerability

We risk so much by putting ourselves out there. Experiencing failure or defeat. Admitting our weaknesses and flaws. Showing our more de...

You Are Not Your Job

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On this Labor Day holiday (in the U.S.), I was wondering: how much of ourselves we pour into our work? <br />
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We spend the majority of our waking hours doing work and in the company of others with whom we work. We identify ourselves by our titles and define ourselves by our jobs. <br />
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Think about it: when you meet someone at an event, what phrase do you usually utter? Most likely, you ask, "So, what do you do?" <br />
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That's kind of limiting, isn't it? We're asking someone to give us a snapshot about themselves that's bound by however their work is traditionally measured. <br />
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I've corresponded with a number of friends recently who have lost or left their jobs, without a clear path for what's next. They seem forlorn. Downtrodden. Even lost. <br />
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This is what happens when we allow the world to define us by our profession, rather than dictating our own terms.<br />
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Work isn't always easy. In the 1960s, there was a television show called <i>The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis</i>. The breakout character was a beatnik, Maynard G. Krebs –  played by none other than Bob Denver. (You did know Bob Denver had a job before <i>Gilligan's Island</i>, didn't you?) <br />
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Good old Maynard. Whenever anyone said the word "work" in front of him, he'd repeat the word, yelling "<b>WORK!</b>" with his voice cracking and a look of fear on his face. <br />
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And that's typical of someone who might think that work means that you work for "The Man" – that ethereal entity that represents corporate life. <br />
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But even in corporate life, as the founder of Walmart knew, you work for a different man (and woman): the customer.<br />
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">"There is only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everybody in the company, from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else."</span></i></b> </div>
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– Sam Walton [<a href="https://ctt.ac/YP1v4" target="_blank">Tweet this quote</a>]</div>
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When you think about the work you do in the context of serving other people and doing whatever it takes to satisfy them, the Krebsian "WORK!" becomes much less so. <br />
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You've heard the cliché "if you find something you love, you'll never work a day in your life." Well, that's somewhat true. It's a little more complex than finding your passion – advice that recently has turned into something of a cottage industry. <br />
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But you should find what motivates you and what brings you fulfillment. And what will pay you at least a living wage. Because then your job won't be something separate from who you are or what you believe in. <br />
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So rather than asking people "What do you do?" Try asking: </div>
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<li>"What excites you lately?"</li>
<li>"What are you passionate about?"</li>
<li>"What problem do you wish you could solve?" </li>
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That gives people much more latitude to answer. And it addresses their intellect, not their job function. It gets to what's in their heart, not what's on their business card. <br />
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And that's something worth working toward. <br />
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<iframe allow="autoplay" frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/495403269&color=%232a77af&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=false" width="100%"></iframe><br />
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You Are Not Your Job

On this Labor Day holiday (in the U.S.), I was wondering: how much of ourselves we pour into our work? We spend the majority of our wa...

Pleasure Makes Perfect

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We just celebrated Labor Day here in the United States. And for many, it was something of a timestamp – a long weekend signalling the last hurrah of summer.<br />
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My kids are filled with a mixture of joy and dread as they head back to school. (Mostly dread for my teenager).<br />
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As humans, we're programmed to want the fun to last, to be put off by encroaching responsibilities.<br />
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But what if you actually had fun doing what you do? What if your job brought you sheer joy?<br />
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">"Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work." </span></i></b></div>
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– Aristotle [<a href="https://ctt.ac/c0Q95" target="_blank">Tweet this quote</a>]</div>
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"Sure, that's easy for you to say, Aristotle," you say. "You stayed in school until you were 37. All you had to do was listen to Plato all day long."<br />
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Well, that's kind of the point. He loved that. So much so that Aristotle went on, with Plato to be considered one of the fathers of Western philosophy.<br />
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We don't all have the chance to be Aristotle. But we do have the opportunity to take joy in our work. Or pick a line of work that brings us more pleasure than pain.<br />
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Then when you return from a long weekend, you'll embrace Monday and everything about your profession.<br />
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<i>Image credit: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:%22The_School_of_Athens%22_by_Raffaello_Sanzio_da_Urbino.jpg" target="_blank">School of Athens</a> by Raphael, 1510. Fresco, Vatican City (Wikimedia Commons)</i><br />
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Pleasure Makes Perfect

We just celebrated Labor Day here in the United States. And for many, it was something of a timestamp – a long weekend signalling the l...

Scott Monty - Strategic Communications & Leadership Advisor