Clutter-free Learning and Leadership

Clearing my work bag off its clutter that had accumulated over a couple of months and reading this blog post, inspired me to think of Clutter-free Learning and Leadership.

Apart from cleaning our desk or training venues (:-)), here are some thoughts on how we can get the clutter out of Learning and Leadership:

1. KISS Design for e-Learning & Materials - A "Keep It Simple, Stupid!" Design that doesn't focus on bells & whistles reduces clutter, helping learners focus on the content rather than the design.

2. Clutter-free Communication - While communicating with team members / learners, building our communication around one or two ideas and not digressing often would help the listeners understand us better.

3. Human readable policies - The other day, while researching on a new HR policy on Google, I found tonnes of HR policies that even a Super Computer cannot decipher! I understand that we have compliance related requirements - however, can we have a clutter-free version please?

4. Focused Goals / Objectives - In the name of Multi-tasking and additional responsibilities, I have seen many leaders set Quarterly goals for themselves or their team that are so cluttered that they end up doing nothing or a little bit of everything. Marcus Buckingham, in his book "The one thing you need to know" speaks of having just one number that tells people whether they've achieved what they should be getting. I am not sure if this is inspired by Jill Collins' "Good to Great" - he shares the same thing about great leaders in this book.

5. Simple Customer Interfaces / tools - Our web site(s) & portals, client presentations, invoices, customer support Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system or any other interface needs to be clutter-free and easily understandable. This would help the customer connect with us better and understand as to what we are really doing for them. A good example on de-cluttering for the customer is the "Patient Friendly Billing" project spearheaded by the HFMA in the US. 

Clutter-free learning and leadership is the way to go to make Learning and Leadership effective!

(image from Martin Whitmore's stream on Flickr)

The Little Good Things

Today, along with a reduced attention span on gadgets & fads, we seem to be always running a super-fast rat race. People who have reached the peak after running the race, keep wondering as to what is next for them.

While the former brood on their next milestone, the latter worry about maintaining their position at the peak.

With all this stress and confusion around us, do we take time to appreciate the good things happening in our lives? Do we appreciate all the blessings that we have received? Do we take time to smell the roses and look around for beauty?

As leaders / bosses / parents, do we realize that most of our people / kids are going through the effects of the rat race?

If we do, is it not important for us to help them appreciate the good things that they are getting?

Apart from being an example, we should also share this message of Appreciation with our people / kids. Sharing the message and living the message would help people become more positive and productive.

In the latest Shrek movie (Shrek-3), Shrek gets bored of living a normal life (according to him) and decides to go back to his old ways. Only after losing everything does he realize that his old life was perfect and better than anything else.

It is better to Appreciate all the little good things now than to lose all those lovely moments and feel for it later.

I believe that Appreciation, would help us "live life to the lees", Ulysses style!