Articles for category: Initiative

November 1, 2016

Greg Thomas

What every Training Session Needs

The goal in training isn’t to solely learn the material – it’s to learn the material, gain knowledge around potential experiences and scenarios and leave the building with your mind running through countless scenarios on how you can apply your newfound knowledge. I can take an online course for a fraction of the cost of going in person. I can download the materials or get them from friends. What experiences do they (the trainer) bring to the material, what examples, scenarios, and problems have them run into that elevate the material? What is their real-world experience? How can they help

October 27, 2016

Greg Thomas

Can we Automate this?

No. Not everything needs to be automated, not everything should be automated. Did you find your way to work okay today? Did you take an unexpected turn to get a coffee and satisfy that inner desire for one? Not everything needs a process, not everything needs to be the same, it just needs to accomplish the goal you have in mind. Sometimes the grind, the grunt work and the non-automated processes are what lead to our greatest ideas.  Sometimes it’s that last second flip of our decision to try something new that yields the biggest gains in our lives.  And

October 25, 2016

Greg Thomas

Going off Script in…

I love this moment – not because I’m not prepared – I am.  I’ve done the research, I’ve done the presentation, I’ve done the pitch, I’ve run through it a 1000x in my head before I even say the first word. I love the feeling… of doing something that no one can follow… of not knowing where the discussion is going to take you… of brainstorming suggestions that could work but might not… of engaging with your team and throwing it out there to the people and not the process… It’s not easy to let go, sit back and watch what

October 21, 2016

Greg Thomas

Cue the Ravens

Why do we shy away from the tough conversations? Is it the yucky feelings it generates? Oh I don’t want to feel this way… This is too hard a question… Why are you making me think?… Can’t you just send me a text? Maybe an email? Something where I don’t have to think on the spot and reveal my true feelings? Something where I can measure my response and take my time? Something asynchronous? Yeah, no – that’s not a conversation, that’s a message. A conversation is direct, personable, synchronous and asks the hard questions, now, not later. We can

October 20, 2016

Greg Thomas

Don’t let the Bad stop you from doing the Great

I’ve taken to watching artists drawing as of late. It is absolutely mesmerizing to watch someone who is waaaaay better at something then you and watch them perform. You learn so much in their approach and whatever that “something” is you’ll generally start to see a common trend in what they are saying and doing. They are never looking at what they are doing, they are looking ahead, talking about the next step while they are doing the current one. Whether it’s coding, skating, swinging a bat, drawing, writing, etc. They are already compiling in their head, turning backwards, running