Have you ever noticed that if something goes wrong, no matter how big or little it may be, we often look for someone to blame? Unfortunately, each of us usually points the finger at the person in the mirror. We need to stop doing that.
First off, others will want to blame anybody else even though they feel the same way. Also, whether somebody did it or not, if the majority can blame them, everybody else feels good (and that person feels bad.)
Instead of finding someone to blame, let’s first look at what happened. And then, see what process failed which caused this error to occur. Blame is third or fourth tier after an event.
We need to understand what happened and why it happened. And what we are going to change to make sure it never happens again. Anything less is a band-aid fix that tells you the same thing will happen in six weeks.
Remember, when we are in business. We manage processes, not people. If the process is wrong, how can you blame the person running it?
What have you falsely blamed yourself for lately for which you had no control?
Author Mike BalofPosted on May 14, 2021 November 26, 2021 Categories Critical ThinkingTags manage processes, understandingLeave a comment on You Did What	
Even though we enjoy thinking of ourselves at times as stark individualists, we are actually social beings. We desire to belong. We would like to know that we fit somewhere within the norm. You do not have to take my word for this. You will know this by listening to yourself.
Have you ever noticed that when we are sick, we worry? It’s true, it happens. Sometimes we can feel a little better just by scheduling an appointment with the doctor. If the symptoms are strange to us or interrupt our lives and we don’t know why, we worry a little more. And we will continue to manifest concerns until the doctor identifies the problem and gives a name of the disease or affliction.
This happens because when we feel ill, we perceive ourselves as having something that possibly no one else has, and something that cannot be cured. When we make the appointment to see the doctor, we can relax a little bit because we feel that help is on the way. And when we are examined by the doctor and get the diagnosis, we then know that we are not alone, that our malady does happen within the world, and there are things we can do to make it better.
Once diagnosed, we take our pills or medicines and follow the required routines to get better. A large part of healing is the knowledge that we are not alone, we are part of a group who either has or has had the same afflictions.
Think of all the times we have the same experiences based on our thoughts and concerns. We quite often are much more afraid because of how we may be thought of based on how we act or think. We start to convince ourselves we are the only one who feels this way or does something that way. We also convince ourselves that if anyone else found out about it, we would be ostracized from the rest of society. That’s not necessarily true.
Just like taking care of the body helps us to understand that we are normal, and we learn how to live better with our bodies. We do the same by taking care of our minds and understanding that we are normal mentally as well as physically. If you go to see a coach or a counselor, it does not mean you are sick, or abnormal, or have a mental defect that needs you to be ostracized from society. Just the opposite is true. It says that you are interested in learning how to work better with you. You want to understand how you think of things. And why you may do things a different way from your friends. When you talk to someone, you are taking positive steps, and because of those positive steps, you will find it easier to be a genuine you.
Author Mike BalofPosted on January 22, 2019 November 26, 2021 Categories belonging, understanding, WorryTags Fear, understanding, WorryLeave a comment on Genuinely You	
Puzzles and Tools
I love to solve puzzles. Wooden puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, escape the room puzzles, sudoku, and crossword puzzles. I like to work on all kinds of problems. It keeps my mind sharper, there is a feeling of euphoria when solving a hard puzzle, and I find insights into some of my other concerns that I might’ve missed otherwise.
Some people hate puzzles, and I understand why. Many times, the person working the problem is looking for an easy solution or something with just a few steps in it. Failing to find an immediate answer, the would-be puzzle solver gives a shrug of the shoulders and says that the puzzle could not be solved. The next time the particular puzzle style comes around, the person merely says, ‘I can never solve those, it just can’t be done.’
When I was younger, I also used to get frustrated and give up puzzles. Then, I learned and started practicing with a couple of rudimentary mental tools which made solving the puzzle much easier. And later I discovered these mental tools have far greater uses. These tools can actually help us in many other areas of our lives.
I learned that solving puzzles and gaining knowledge in business and life had to start with the belief that the problems could be solved. This is probably the most important of all the tools. Not believing that something is possible results in never putting forth the effort to actually accomplish it. We may give it lip service, yet most efforts are only halfhearted at best.
My next tool is knowledge. If I believe the puzzle can be solved, then I believe that, in most cases, someone somewhere has done this before. If they can do it, then I should be able to do it. I just need to take some time to explore the possibilities.
My third tool is understanding the possibilities. You need to look at all problems based on possible inputs and possible results. Don’t think about the impossible because more and more the impossible, is becoming probable, and might be able to be purchased within the next five years. Remember, the only thing impossible in technology are some of the folks you’ll meet along the way.
So today I give you three tools, belief, knowledge, and understanding the possibilities. Like any tool, these work best when used often and treated with care. There’s nothing worse than going out to the garden to use a tool and having to brush off all the cobwebs and take time to sharpen it before it becomes useful again.
Well, there’s the mean old master sergeant’s thought again. Thanks for being with me, I hope to be with you again tomorrow.
Author Mike BalofPosted on October 4, 2018 November 26, 2021 Categories Belief, knowledge, understandingTags Belief, knowledge, understandingLeave a comment on Puzzles and Tools	