beBetter 

As I have shared previously, my brother, Mike, has a unique ability to bring humor to moments that simply bring you to tears laughing. One Sunday after church, we were having a family luncheon with my parents, Pop Joe and Mom, Mike, his wife Joy, my sister Mitzi, her husband Tim, and my wife CeCe at a local restaurant in Batesville, Mississippi. It was a hot summer day and we were enjoying a southern favorite—ice cold tea—as we waited. As you might guess, Sunday after church in a small town with few restaurant choices makes for a crowded and SLOW dining experience. However, we were having a great time visiting and catching up on family current events and stories while we waited.

My brother, Mike, is a family practice physician and has the well-earned reputation of being an excellent humorous storyteller.  He can make the most normal human moments comical to the point that everyone within earshot will be laughing. 

I have played in the same fantasy football league for over 12 years. I must admit, with today's technology it is more fun than ever.

My grandson, Davis (11), has asked me for the last two years to find him a league. Last year, a youth league fell through at the last moment so this year we formed a family league with 12 teams. We agreed I would be the head coach and he would be the assistant coach. He named the team "Landsharks" after our favorite college team Ole Miss's nickname for its defense. Now after seeing the Ole Miss defense this season, a better name might have been "Landminnows." It was ugly, but thankfully our fantasy team had some Landshark qualities.

I despise a naked NO!  I love to hear no when it is accompanied with WHY or another possible path or strategy.

But it’s really disrespectful to just say NO impulsively!  Can you remember how you felt the last time someone just said NO to you?  No explanation or alternatives.  Are we in the habit of just being too busy to care or not confident that our no is the right answer? 

This blog is the ninth in the series, My Top 10 Blunders and How You Can Avoid Them. 

This blog is the seventh in the series, My Top 10 Blunders and How You Can Avoid Them.

This blog is the third in the series, My Top 10 Blunders and How You Can Avoid Them

For a long time, I had a terrible habit of communicating my expectations with very little clarity. 

For example, let’s take a look at this totally made up scenario:

It’s that nerve-wracking time of year where we “officially” document our progress and performance for the past 12 months. It’s tough on the performance advisors and the assigned team members. Everyone wants to get it right.

I know from my personal experience that one of the best ways to have a great performance review is to have a positive attitude. When I remind myself that this is about helping me grow as a professional and that my performance advisor and coach all care about my success, then it helps me listen to the feedback both positively and constructively. It is part of being better and growing.

The terms The Naysayer, The Skinner, The Backhand & The Dumper are not originals of mine, but I am unsure of who to give proper credit. Once I read them, the terms just stuck with me as I identified very quickly that these are situations that slow me down.   
 
Some things just really weigh me down. I call them anchors, because they cause my forward momentum to stop. Now, I am not sure why some things bother me more than others, but they do. I try to recognize these pet peeves and respond in a manner that is appropriate, but also honest. Sometimes I do a pretty good job, and sometimes I don’t. My wife is especially good at letting me know when I don’t. I might as well have dropped an anchor on my toe when that happens.  
 
What are some of these anchors for me?