Steve Woda's blog

'Cause we all just want to be big tech stars!

I love the technology world.  There is so much creativity, and the following video is a great example of that.  This music video is a parody of Nickelback's Rock Star music video.  Check it out.  There is more reality in this video than most of us would like to admit. :)

I saw this video on Brad Feld's great blog, "Feld Thoughts", so special thanks to Brad for bringing it to our attention.

Perspective... The ultimate weapon in the fight against "chase the shiny object" syndrome

Life, business, politics, competition, family... These things can all be challenging at times.  Stress in inevitable.  Over the years, I have determined that the most valuable tool you can acquire for managing these challenges is "perspective" or "context".

When you think about the big picture and put your daily stresses into a proper context or perspective, you often realize how minor the bumps are.  In the short run, challenges can seem huge and the desire for quick fixes is strong.  I like to call this the "chase the shiny object" syndrome.  For organizations, "chase the shiny object" syndrome leads to inevitable failure. 

In the long run, most challenges are manageable.  By staying focused on the big picture and by continuing to put one foot in front of the other, you can make amazing progress that compounds on itself to create success.  Intuitively, we all know this, but it is often hard to keep that state of mind when you are in the weeds and when the pressure is on for instant success.

As a leader in your organization, it is always important to keep folks focused on the big picture... to give your team perspective and context on what is going on around them.  Create a roadmap or plan.  Concentrate on execution.  Put one foot in front of the other over and over again.  One morning months later, the team will wake up and be pleasantly shocked to see how far they have traveled and how much they have accomplished.

If you want the ultimate perspective, watch this video.  It is awe inspiring to me, and it certainly puts our daily, personal challenges into a much bigger picture.  :)

Hot Streaks! How do they happen?

I just arrived home from a terrific, extended, overdue vacation on the beach in Florida with my family.  I really had a great time as I am sure you can imagine.

While there, I was practicing my putting stroke on the beach-side putting green when I suddenly starting knocking in every putt I looked at.  Since I couldn't seem to miss a putt, I grabbed my video camera to see if I could record a bit of my hot streak, and that is when the following video was taped...



Since we are on the subject of hot streaks, I want to recommend a book to you that I read while on vacation.  Rosabeth Moss Kantor's "Confidence: How Winning Streaks & Losing Streaks Begin & End" is a fabulous read, and it is now one of my personal favorites.  The book digs into the subject of how teams, organizations and people get on winning streaks or losing streaks.  What separates the two?

My favorite observation from the book, because we all know it is true, is that "failure and success are not episodes, they are trajectories."  Doing the little things well, every day, breeds success.  If you think success comes from a lucky lottery ticket, you will be a disappointed person in the long-run.  As my childhood basketball idol, Dr. J, once said, "Inch by inch, life's a cinch.  Yard by yard, life is hard."

"Confidence" is an awesome book, and for every current or aspiring leader, it is a must read.  Enjoy!

1 in 5 young employees want this more than money!

More money!  That is obviously what you expect your employees to want the most, but it turns out that for many young employees, freedom is what matters most to them.

1 in 5 young employees say that the "freedom to use technology how they want while they’re at work" is the number one thing they want out of their jobs.

Sam Narisi wrote a nice article on this recently, and it is an interesting read.

These employees want access to social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.  They want to use the favorite personal devices whether that be Blackberries, iPhones or their own laptops.  They want to use the Internet for their personal business.

To be honest, I don't think this is important only to young employees.  I suspect that a large percentage of older employees would echo those thoughts.  As you manage your teams, keep these needs in mind.  It will inevitably help you lead more effectively if you can offer a work environment that caters to your employees and the things they hold most dear.