December 18, 2023
Good morning!
’twas just one week before Christmas…
Ridlee o’ the week: Why was Santa eliminated from the spelling bee? (Answer below)
The United States needs 3,000,000 more housing units than it has in inventory, 49,000 of those in the Twin Cities. (Hines/ Census Bureau/ Moodys)
In 2008 the Twin Cities had nearly 60,000 surplus housing units… guess what happened then?!
- Our community has a talented, long-running theatre company called G.R.E.A.T. — first two letters = Great River, last one you can guess.
- We enjoyed an outstanding performance of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast recently.
- There is something about live theatre, all of its parts and pieces, on stage and behind the scenes, that is nothing short of spectacular.
- I had a good friend and mentor, now sadly deceased, who suggested all of learning could be centered around theatre.
- She and I discussed it, and she was right. (Another of her favourite expressions: “No one needs more bad theatre.”)
- You’ve got history, language, the arts, science, mathematics, engineering, physics, design, teamwork, costuming, textiles, athleticism, music, dance, leadership…
- …perhaps even chemistry with all of that fog and the bubbling cauldrons.
- Have you been following the Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet championships?
- You haven’t?!
- If not, an executive summary is included for you right here:
- Spoiler alert: The reigning champion kept the crown (Clippy) but not without the intervening drama of a scorekeeping computer glitch.
- Las Vegas, by the way, in a room crowded with Spreadsheet Wannabes; the Super Bowl has nothing over this event.
- The Champ was so good he stopped competing — and taunted his competitors — after building an insurmountable lead. (Informed by McMillan)
- They said it was going to happen and it appears to now be anecdotally true.
- There are now just as many people who are so-called reverse commuting as there are commuting.
- Meaning, from here in Central Minnesota where Without A Vision Consultancy has its headquarters, there is a 75-minute drive to the Twin Cities.
- And, at seven in the morning and/or at four in the afternoon, if you’re driving on Road #94, it appears to be equally traffic jammed in both directions
- Chicken Run, Dawn of the Nugget:
Six Words!
- According to Barker (2023), much more rigorous sustainability-related financial disclosure is coming soon.
- “Don’t treat this as an exercise in compliance… it is to gain greater visibility into your business’s exposure to risk and to long-term prospects for success.”
- “Corporate reporting hasn’t changed this much since 1929.”
- “Investors know the energy sources that built the global economy are not those that will sustain it.”
- “… sustainability builds resilience and increases the capacity for growth.”
- “… if global warming is not slowed, and if natural resources continue to be depleted at the current rate, economic activity will suffer.” (The Economist, Barker)
- “Among the bigger causes of failure is unrealistic expectations.
- Setting targets that aren’t attainable puts leaders in situations where commitment and resources don’t match performance expectations.” (Eades)
- And now, as promised, more on this topic: How can I convince myself I belong in leadership; i.e., Impostor Syndrome?
- “Don’t beat yourself up for experiencing Impostor Syndrome.
- Some self-doubt is normal when taking on a more senior role.
- Instead of trying to banish it, you can transform it into something powerful as you build new relationships with your team members. (Siang)
- Among the better antidotes for Impostor Syndrome is to build belonging, confidence, and community… fostering inclusion for others.
- Here are three (3) practices to embrace:
- Acknowledge contributions;
- Make good introductions;
- Emphasize superpowers. (Siang, 2023)
- And, don’t forget, Without A Vision Consultancy’s watchwords: Ask for help before it’s too late!
This is the penultimate Musing of the year… in just two more weeks we will gratefully begin a new year.
Answer: He thought the alphabet had Noel.
