A leadership development resource

from the Institute for Leadership Excellence & Development Inc.

Volume VII

Number 8

On the Horizon This Issue:

"Ah... Silence"
Reduce stress in your life by getting rid of tolerations.

Company Meeting Coming Up?
Let your meeting planner know about us! We can help your meeting be a great success!

This Issue's Freebie: 5 Keys To Getting More Done With Less Stress webcast
Join me for a webcast on time management.

Special Offer: $20 USD off Risk Management e-learning
Here's a great deal on practical teaching on risk management.

Card Corner: It's All About Relationships
Learn about this incredible relationship-building tool!

View Andy Kaufman's profile on LinkedIn

Join my list of friends on Facebook!

 


 

  [Tolerations]  [Meeting Planners]  [Freebie]  [Offer]  [Card Corner]  [The Institute Online] 


 

"Ah... Silence!"

by Andy Kaufman

 

Words: 535

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

The Sound

It's nearly midnight and my wife and I are just about to doze off, looking forward to a restful night of sleep.

Until we heard the sound.

It was a variation of what is sometimes called Chinese water torture. The idea is a steady sound—such as the dripping of water—even if it isn’t loud, over time can drive you crazy.

In the quiet of the Kaufman household, this normally subtle sound was keeping us both awake. What was it? Every 30 seconds or so we could hear the sound of water running—almost like a mini-flush from the toilet in our master bathroom.

I could hear my wife sigh. “That thing is driving me crazy!”

It’s important to note that my wife didn’t marry “Joe the Plumber!” I love to learn how to fix things but I definitely didn’t get the “fix it guy” gene. But enough was enough.

It's important to note that my wife didn't marry "Joe the Plumber!"

I’m glad to report that last weekend I fixed the toilet.

The culprit: a flush valve seal that cost $1.47 USD and about 30 minutes of my time.

Life is Filled With Tolerations

Why did we put up with the annoying sound while wasting at least a gallon of water a day when it could easily be fixed—even by me—for less than the cost of a cup of coffee?

Because we do it all the time. So do you. Life is filled with things that annoy us but, for a multitude of reasons, we put up with them. Often in life it’s not the sharks that cause the most problems—it’s the guppies!

In the coaching field we call such items tolerations. Similar to our plumbing problem, tolerations are those subtle leaks that drain our energy day-after-day.

Typically they aren’t big things. It could be a light bulb that has been out for a while. Or a squeaky door. Or a pile of mail and paper that keeps growing in your kitchen. Or a conflict with a co-worker that hasn’t been resolved.

Though the cost of an individual toleration may not be that large, the accumulated toll ends up impacting our stress level and focus.

Identify and Reduce

Here are some recommendations to help with your tolerances:
  • Get a pencil and some paper. Don’t start with fixing! Start with identifying! What are those things that you’ve been putting up with? Google “clean sweep program” and you’ll find some insights from a CoachU, Inc. program that can help you identify areas you may not even realize that you’re tolerating.
  • Think Reduce. In the perfect world you could get rid of all of your tolerances. In the real world, aim for reduce. Even a little progress will bring you satisfying results. I recommend looking for the easiest item on your list and starting with it.
  • Chip away. Keep your list of tolerations handy. When you get a window of available time, take one action to chip away at it to make progress.

Get More Done With Less Stress

The last couple of days I’ve walked by the master bathroom with a listening ear and a smile on my face.  "Ah, silence!"

Funny how the little things in life can bring happiness!

We can help you and your team learn practical time management skills. Contact us today about our keynotes and workshops that can help you get more done with less stress.

Want to Learn More?

How about a free webinar to learn more?

On Friday, November 7, 2008, at 11:00am Central, I will be sharing practical tips in a webcast: 5 Keys to Getting More Done with Less Stress. There is no charge for subscribers to Horizon Time.

Click here to register for this webcast. I look forward to meeting you!

Reducing tolerances can flush at least some of the stress from your life. Here’s to less stress for you in the coming months!

elearning (e-learning) to help you manage conflict from keynote speaker Andy Kaufman

keynote speaker Andy Kaufman

Andy Kaufman

Speaker, Author, Consultant

President, Institute for Leadership Excellence & Development Inc.


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Bring Andy in For Your Upcoming Company Meeting

Many organizations will be gathering their teams in the coming months to close out the current year and start the new one with momentum. Whether you go offsite or have your meeting in-house, the Institute has keynotes that can help you make your event a great success!

Here are some helpful links:

  • Click here to view some sample clipsMeeting Planner resources. Let the person organizing your meeting know about this link. We are very meeting planner friendly, and can help them organize a great session!

  • Sample videos. Wonder what it would be like to bring Andy in for your group? Check out our sample videos including the recently published clips from his keynote "Lipstick on a Pig."

We work with business professionals around the world who are struggling with how to deliver projects and lead teams. We help you get focused, take action, and achieve stellar results.

From keynotes & workshops delivered at your company to one-on-one coaching for project managers and sponsors, contact the Institute today for details on how we can help you and your organization deliver.


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This Month's Freebie

 

5 Keys To Getting More Done With Less Stress

As a thank you for subscribing to our newsletter, here's this month's special offer.

Join me on Friday, November 7, at 11:00am Central. I will be hosting a free webcast based on our popular keynote by the same title. Click here to learn more.

Click here to register. I look forward to meeting you! Thank you for subscribing to Horizon Time!


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This Month's Special Offer

 

Our popular workshop on risk management, available now online or on CD

If you manage projects or people, you are faced with risks on a daily basis. Too often risk management comes off as an academic topic--something that's only relevant for the most structured organizations.

Our popular keynote and workshop on risk management is now available in an e-learning format. Between now and November 14 Horizon Time subscribers can get the learning for $20 USD less than the list price.

Click here to learn more! Thank you for subscribing to Horizon Time!


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Card Corner:

It's All About Relationships

Send Out Cards by Andy KaufmanIn a world overflowing with e-clutter, how do you stand out from the crowd? Whether it is to congratulate, thank, celebrate, or encourage, sending a real card helps you get listened to despite all the noise of e-mail, e-cards, and text message alternatives.

I will be personally providing a free walk through of the Send Out Cards system on Friday, November 7. You'll see first hand out the system works. Plus, after the session you'll be able to send a card for free on me!

Click here to register! I look forward to meeting you!


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Stay in Touch!

Horizon Time is written by Andy Kaufman and is available via e-mail or on the Web for all who register.  You are invited to forward this to anyone interested in growing their leadership skills!

 

If you have any difficulty with the hyperlinks in this newsletter, you can view it online at:

http://www.i-leadonline.com/newsletter/Identify-and-Reduce-Tolerations.htm.

 

You can access past issues of Horizon Time by visiting www.i-leadonline.com/NewsletterIndex.asp.

 

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For more information on Andy Kaufman and the Institute for Leadership Excellence & Development Inc., please visit our web site.

 

Join me on Facebook and LinkedIn:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/andy_kaufman/557513545

Linked In: http://www.linkedin.com/in/buildleaders

 

You can contact Andy by phone toll-free at (866) 88 I-LEAD (866-884-5323), or by e-mail at andy@i-leadonline.com.


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