Quick Hits

What is the difference between having good judgment and being judgmental?

In order to have good judgement you have to think about something and make a decision or judgement about it. What is your opinion? What do you think? What choices do you want to make based on your interpretation of that information?

 

All of that is internal to you. It is about you and what you want.

 

Conversely, being judgmental is about deciding that someone else is wrong and telling them just how wrong they are (or gossiping to other people about it).

 

In this conversation social media came up several times. It is SO easy to put people on blast on social media and it is even encouraged. The more emotion someone spews the more likes, comments and shares they get. (clearly I should make Quick Hits more controversial rather than so informative and thought provoking.)

 

When I asked James Lee, Lisa McDonald and Atif Agha this question they were in agreement that emotional intention and how you communicate feedback also plays a role.

 

If you say, “You’re wrong!” That’s judgmental.

 

If you say, “I might not do it that way and here’s why.” That could be sharing good judgement.

 

What do you think? Where is the line between having good judgement and being judgemental?

 

Connect with the panelists:
James Lee: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jleeadvisor/

Lisa McDonald: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-k-mcdonald-executive-career-coach/

Atif Agha: https://www.linkedin.com/in/atifagha/

Dr Robyn Odegaard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynodegaard/

 

Want a summary of the Quick Hits I post every week, plus the links to the LinkedIn pages of each of the panelist to show up in your in-box every week? Just let me know where to send it: https://drrobynodegaard.com/quick-hits-notifications/

 

 

  #QuickHits are designed to exercise your brain by letting you listen in on an unscripted conversation to get other people's thoughts on pertinent subjects. If you would like to join a conversation or have a topic you would like to hear discussed, please message me. https://www.DrRobynOdegaard.com

 

#judgement #judgmental #judgment #socialmedia

What does it mean to feel engaged at work?

Employee “engagement” is a big buzz word in many organizations. When I was working for a large corporation they used to bring in pizza to help us feel engaged. To this day I have no clue what lunch has to do with me doing better work. But there it is.

 

Michael Davis started the conversation off by talking about being in the flow. It is easy to know you are engaged in what you are doing if time just slips by and the work magically gets done.

 

I wondered how happiness and engagement are related. Do you have to be enjoying yourself to be engaged?

 

Brandon Mahoney shared a great example of happiness and engagement not being the same thing. He is currently working on a project that is a lot of manual effort. Certainly not fun. But, he understands how it relates to the final outcome and the success of the company so he is engaged in doing.

 

Gary Fredricks mirrored this sentiment – there are lots of things at On Point Partners that he doesn’t love to do but he does them anyway because it’s his business and he wants it to succeed.

 

Does that mean you have to care about the outcome and understand how your work fits into it to be engaged? I think so. Does that mean you have to be happy doing it – no so much.

 

What do you think it means to be engaged at work and do you think it is something that can be externally created by an employer?

 

Connect with the panelists:
Brandon Mahoney: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandoncmahoney/

Co Founder of Launch Point Labs, a start up studio and early venture funds where he is the expert in creating sales departments. currently based in Oregon

 

Michael Davis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeldavisspeakingcpr/

Founder of Speaking CPR where he helps business leaders and speakers improve their presentations and speeches

 

Gary Fredericks: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garyfredericks/

CEO of On Point Partners where they provide back office services for small businesses

 

Dr Robyn Odegaard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynodegaard/

High Performance Concierge Psychologist and Quick Hits Facilitator

 

Want a summary of the Quick Hits I post every week, plus the links to the LinkedIn pages of each of the panelist to show up in your in-box every week? Just let me know where to send it: https://drrobynodegaard.com/quick-hits-notifications/

 

 

  #QuickHits are designed to exercise your brain by letting you listen in on an unscripted conversation to get other people's thoughts on pertinent subjects. If you would like to join a conversation or have a topic you would like to hear discussed, please message me. https://www.DrRobynOdegaard.com

 

#engagement #disengagement #happyatwork

What does empathy mean as part of a corporate culture?

Fayaz Nagoor Shaikh suggested this topic and I thought, “Oof, that is going to be a lot to pull apart in ten minutes.” But what a great conversation we ended up having.

 

We touched on the difference between empathy and sympathy and that empathy happens in small groups, one to one. Not in townhalls and large meetings.

 

It is someone each person has to be willing to do.

 

It has to start at the top and be built from the bottom.

 

I asked how someone might be able to tell during the interview process if an organization is empathic or toxic (I am now wondering if there is a space in between – might have to have another conversation about that).

 

Paula Jenkins was straightforward – ask the question. The interview is your chance to get to know them. Ask.

 

Fayaz commented that sometimes you can’t tell until you are in the organization that it is toxic and that as soon as you realize that, get out.

 

I added that asking about someone’s experience working there was a good way to learn how the organization is from the inside. Although Paula cautioned that people don’t owe you their personal stories.

 

I would have loved to have delved into that topic. How much does an interviewer owe you the truth about their experience in an organization and how much is their private story?

 

Sadly, we didn’t have time to get into it. I will add that to my list of Quick Hits topics for another day.

 

What do you think? Is it possible for empathy to be part of a corporate culture and what questions would you ask to determine that in an interview process?

 

Connect with the panelists:
Paula Jenkins, MBA: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulajenkinslfsconsulting/

Owner and CEO at LFS Consulting where she does leadership development and financial literacy

 

Fayaz Nagoor Shaikh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fayaznagoor/

Learning transformation expert. A people-focused leader building organizational capabilities through innovative, human-centric solution design

Dr Robyn Odegaard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynodegaard/

High Performance Concierge Psychologist and Quick Hits Facilitator

 

Want a summary of the Quick Hits I post every week, plus the links to the LinkedIn pages of each of the panelist to show up in your in-box every week? Just let me know where to send it: https://drrobynodegaard.com/quick-hits-notifications/

 

 

  #QuickHits are designed to exercise your brain by letting you listen in on an unscripted conversation to get other people's thoughts on pertinent subjects. If you would like to join a conversation or have a topic you would like to hear discussed, please message me. https://www.DrRobynOdegaard.com

 

#corporateculture #empathy #interviewquestions

How does the average person feel every day?

When this topic was suggested by a panelist I thought, “I’m not sure if this is going to create a great conversation.”

 

There are so many sticky points. How can any of us know what an average day looks like for someone else?

 

But then I realized, if the four of us were willing to talk about how we feel on an average day, or maybe just day to day, the conversation could really help normalize that not every day is a top-of-the-world day.

 

Tim Hawkes made the point that when we do have really great days it is almost like we forget what a bad day is like and we can barely imagine what someone who isn’t having a good day might be going through.

 

And Emily Rentas provided us with a great visual of how a bad day can be like a dam breaking and our emotions can just be swept away in the raging muddy water full of debris.

 

Dr Cole Galloway reflected on how often our internal voice says things like, “I don’t think I’m cut out for this” and how great it would be if we could all work in places where we could show up as our authentic selves and the people we work with would accept and support that (and we would accept and support them).

 

What do you think? How do you feel on an average day?

 

Connect with the panelists:

Emily Rentas, LMHC: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyrentas/

Tim Hawkes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timhawkes/

Cole Galloway, PT, PhD: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cole-galloway-1ba715107/

Dr Robyn Odegaard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynodegaard/

 

Want a summary of the Quick Hits I post every week, plus the links to the LinkedIn pages of each of the panelist to show up in your in-box every week? Just let me know where to send it: https://drrobynodegaard.com/quick-hits-notifications/

 

 

  #QuickHits are designed to exercise your brain by letting you listen in on an unscripted conversation to get other people's thoughts on pertinent subjects. If you would like to join a conversation or have a topic you would like to hear discussed, please message me. https://www.DrRobynOdegaard.com

 

#havinganoffday #weirdness #notokay

How important is happiness at work?

This conversation was incredibly nuanced. We started out saying, yes, happiness at work is important. But then we came up against A LOT of questions.

 

Among them, What does it mean to be happy at work? Whose responsibility is it to make employees happy at work?

 

I shared how for me, when I worked in the corporate world, my only thing was for them not to actively make me unhappy. Communicate what you need from me. Give me the tools to do it. Pay me a fair wage and I’ll do a great job. I didn’t want pizza parties or employee appreciation dinners.

 

Kevin Wash pointed out that there are lots of studies showing that people who are happier at work are more productive. (I didn’t mention it during the conversation but I do wonder if people who are allowed to be productive are happier.)

 

Cole Galloway made the observation that he sees so many people who are just different people at work. In the parking lot they might be easy going and smiling. But walk through those office doors and that person is replaced with a dog-eat-dog mentality.

 

Stewart Wiggins wondered if what makes someone happy at work changes throughout their career and as they age.

 

I absolutely LOVED this conversation and I wish you all could have been a fly on the wall for the discussion that happened after I turned off the recording.

 

It is often the case that ten minutes just isn’t enough. 

 

The additional thirty minutes this panel spent together was full of rich and interesting discussion.

 

If you are wishing you could have heard it, I would encourage you to become part of the Quick Hits community and join the conversation as a panelist.

 

It is an absolutely amazing group of people and what you see in the posted discussions is only part of why I love it.

 

Back to the question – Do you take responsibility for your happiness at work? It is important or necessary to be happy at work?

 

Connect with the panelists:

Stewart Wiggins: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stewart-wiggins/

Cole Galloway, PT, PhD: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cole-galloway-1ba715107/

Kevin Wash: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-wash-23b90915/

Dr Robyn Odegaard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynodegaard/

 

Want a summary of the Quick Hits I post every week, plus the links to the LinkedIn pages of each of the panelist to show up in your in-box every week? Just let me know where to send it: https://drrobynodegaard.com/quick-hits-notifications/

 

 

  #QuickHits are designed to exercise your brain by letting you listen in on an unscripted conversation to get other people's thoughts on pertinent subjects. If you would like to join a conversation or have a topic you would like to hear discussed, please message me. https://www.DrRobynOdegaard.com

 

#HappinessAtWork #happiness #officelife

 

How do you decide when it’s time to ask for help?

Asking for help is really much harder than it should be. My panelists and I agreed that we often wait much longer than we should. We struggle. Try to figure it out. Reinvent the wheel and only when we become good and properly stuck do we ask for help.

 

I wondered why that was and we talked about the judgement we fear when we ask for help while at the same time agreeing that when someone asks us for help we don’t judge them. We just help them.

 

(This is a pattern I see when I do team development work with high level sports teams as well.)

 

Another example that came up was the stigma about being in therapy. Josh Coles pointed out that he thinks his generation might be better about it than those before us. But it is certainly still a thing.

 

The Better Conversation Foundation, founded by Simon Coles, was created explicitly to help people become more comfortable asking for help and to give organizations the tools needed to create the psychological safety so people can ask for help.

 

Brandon Mahoney and I are certainly on the same page that we are actively working on getting better at asking for help before we hit a brick wall.

 

I know for me, I hate to see the shock or disappointment on someone’s face when I ask for help. Like they can’t believe I, of all people, don’t have my act together (Yes, even I high performance psychologist can use some help sometimes).

 

What do you think? How do you know when it’s time to ask for help and do you do it?

 

Connect with the panelists:

Brandon Mahoney: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandoncmahoney/

Simon Coles: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sjcoles/

Josh Coles: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-coles-a79498151/

Dr Robyn Odegaard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynodegaard/

 

Want a summary of the Quick Hits I post every week, plus the links to the LinkedIn pages of each of the panelist to show up in your in-box every week? Just let me know where to send it: https://drrobynodegaard.com/quick-hits-notifications/

 

 

  #QuickHits are designed to exercise your brain by letting you listen in on an unscripted conversation to get other people's thoughts on pertinent subjects. If you would like to join a conversation or have a topic you would like to hear discussed, please message me. https://www.DrRobynOdegaard.com

 

#mentalhealth #askforhelp #resilient

Machines learn from existing information, either in the public domain or privately owned. Who owns the output of those machines and why?

This topic is not my area of expertise but I am REALLY interested in where this field is going.

 

It is clear who owns the algorithms. Whoever wrote them. But the output of those algorithms? The person who created the parameters?

 

If you do a Google search, do you own the results? I’ve seen lots of people copy/paste Google results and no one screams plagiarism.

 

But if you took the whole of the content of my books, fed it into a machine learning program and then asked it to produce a blog based on my work and in my style, I think I’d take issue with you putting your name on it as yours.

 

I certainly don’t have the right answer (is there a right answer?) so I asked three people with more knowledge and experience in the space than I have: Atif Agha, Dr. Wayne Buckhanan and Rabbi Yonason Goldson.

 

Our conversation was dynamic and thought provoking. And we didn’t land on a solid answer.

 

What do you think? Who should own the output if your intellectual property was used as the foundation for a machine to learn, dissect and regurgitate?

 

Connect with the panelists:

Rabbi Yonason Goldson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yonason-goldson/

Dr. Wayne Buckhanan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/waynebuckhanan/

Atif Agha: https://www.linkedin.com/in/atifagha/

Dr Robyn Odegaard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynodegaard/

 

Want a summary of the Quick Hits I post every week, plus the links to the LinkedIn pages of each of the panelist to show up in your in-box every week? Just let me know where to send it: https://drrobynodegaard.com/quick-hits-notifications/

 

 

  #QuickHits are designed to exercise your brain by letting you listen in on an unscripted conversation to get other people's thoughts on pertinent subjects. If you would like to join a conversation or have a topic you would like to hear discussed, please message me. https://www.DrRobynOdegaard.com

 

#machinelearning #ChatGPT #plagiarism #copyright

How do you think about something on purpose?

Making time to think is something we all “know” is an important part of problem solving. But that does it actually look like to “think?”

 

You might be trying to remember something and the more you actively try to think about it the less likely it seems you will remember it.

 

In those cases, I tell my brain, “I know you know this. Go find it.” And usually, it will suddenly pop into my head, “Hey look I found it!”

 

I know that sounds crazy but it really works. I’ve even been able to help clients do it.

 

But I wondered how other people think about thinking so I asked Brandon Mahoney, Jim Tam and Bill Dolan how they think.

 

Bill had a great saying, “Life is a drive by experience.” And I’m going to have to spend some time thinking about what that means.

 

We also ended up talking about how we remember things, particularly things we read. The best option seems to be to take notes but when that’s not an option, being purposeful about listening and focusing on what’s being said is a good idea. (For transparency, I’m awful at that. I’m ALWAYS doing something else when I’m listening to books.)

 

What does it look like for you to think about something on purpose? Do you have a trick for getting your brain to remember something? I’d love to hear it.

 

Connect with the panelists:

Bill Dolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billdolan/

Jim Tam: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimtam/

Brandon Mahoney: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandoncmahoney/

Dr Robyn Odegaard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynodegaard/

 

Want a summary of the Quick Hits I post every week, plus the links to the LinkedIn pages of each of the panelist to show up in your in-box every week? Just let me know where to send it: https://drrobynodegaard.com/quick-hits-notifications/

 

 

  #QuickHits are designed to exercise your brain by letting you listen in on an unscripted conversation to get other people's thoughts on pertinent subjects. If you would like to join a conversation or have a topic you would like to hear discussed, please message me. https://www.DrRobynOdegaard.com

 

#memories #thinking #remembering #reading

Where is the line between embellishment and lying?

At first glance this seems like a straightforward answer. The truth is the truth. No more. No less. But that’s not the way any of us function in our day to day lives.

 

What kinds of details are okay to fudge or tweak for the sake of a clear story?

 

Michael Davis spends a lot of time helping people share their stories and he made the point that if you include every single detail for the sake of telling the “truth” you are going to lose your audience.

 

He talked instead about the “emotional truth” of a story.

 

Karen Loomis, who does branding and marketing (an area where there could be a strong temptation to stretch the truth) said that it’s one thing to exaggerate or make yourself look a little better if it doesn’t matter.

 

Her example was someone saying the are a good swimmer when they actually aren’t that great. In most cases, that doesn’t matter.

 

But – if that person was trying to get a job as a swim coach, suddenly that isn’t an embellishment. It’s a lie.

 

Dave Roberts agreed that how you tell a story might change and you might highlight or remember something differently based on your emotional state at the moment.

 

So where is the line? What types of things are just part of the human condition where you might hedge to save someone’s feelings? When does it become lying?

 

We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments because this is a WAY more complicated topic than we could do justice in ten minutes.

 

Connect with the panelists:

Karen Loomis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kloomis/

Dave Roberts: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-roberts-56690513/

Michael Davis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeldavisspeakingcpr/

Dr Robyn Odegaard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynodegaard/

 

Want a summary of the Quick Hits I post every week, plus the links to the LinkedIn pages of each of the panelist to show up in your in-box every week? Just let me know where to send it: https://drrobynodegaard.com/quick-hits-notifications/

 

 

  #QuickHits are designed to exercise your brain by letting you listen in on an unscripted conversation to get other people's thoughts on pertinent subjects. If you would like to join a conversation or have a topic you would like to hear discussed, please message me. https://www.DrRobynOdegaard.com

 

#dontlietome #lying #WhatisTruth

Should college and/or experience be required for entry level jobs?

When I suggested this topic, I thought I might be the odd one in that I think if a job is “entry level” it should mean that you can come in willing to work and they will teach you everything you need to know from the ground up.

 

But Atif Agha and Domenico Ciarallo agreed with me – to a point.

 

We talked a little bit about people not wanting to work (is that a thing?) and that in professional jobs like engineering or the medical field they have to require college and experience even at the very entry positions.

 

Atif pointed out that in his field of IT experience counts for more than degrees do.

 

I have certainly seen some job postings that are ridiculous. Things like requiring a Masters degree for a $14/hour job.

 

As I mentioned during the conversation, I have a unique perspective because I worked a white collar job for 14 years with only a high school diploma before I ever went to college.

 

What do you think? Should “entry level” mean we will train you or is it okay to demand experience and/or a college degree for an entry level job?

 

Connect with the panelist:

Domenico Ciarallo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/domenicociarallo/

Atif Agha: https://www.linkedin.com/in/atifagha/  

Dr Robyn Odegaard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynodegaard/

 

Want a summary of the Quick Hits I post every week, plus the links to the LinkedIn pages of each of the panelist to show up in your in-box every week? Just let me know where to send it: https://drrobynodegaard.com/quick-hits-notifications/

 

 

  #QuickHits are designed to exercise your brain by letting you listen in on an unscripted conversation to get other people's thoughts on pertinent subjects. If you would like to join a conversation or have a topic you would like to hear discussed, please message me. https://www.DrRobynOdegaard.com

 

#minimumwage #experiencerequired #studentdebt