How you welcome someone into an organization, team, or family is important. You have seconds to make a positive first impression. That first impression must tell the newbie that they will be safe with you. They must believe you have their best interests at heart. It’ must be obvious to them that you care about their success first and foremost. They believe you are their biggest fan.Be it a band, a team, family, business, or any other type of communal organization — how you welcome people matters.

Two of the most important events in person’s professional life may be when they get their first job, and when they get fired.You can read tons of books about how to hire people. Not a lot of books on how to fire.Being great at letting people go is a skill. I’m not the best at it, but I like to think I’m okay. The most important part, for me, is to acknowledge the truth of the matter.This conversation is stressful and painful; no words will make it better.You are a person, and I care about you as a person, that’s why I’m speaking the truth to you.We need different work than the work you do. What you do matters, and you need to go find the people who need your work. We’re not them.You’re not alone. We are with you as you transition. Here’s where you go next.If ever you need to say goodbye to people who work for you or that you work with, do it with love.

You’re only going to get better at the thing you’re trying to do if you keep at it. Incremental effort produces results.

Sometimes your eyes are bigger than your mouth. Life brings you tons of opportunity, and you jump on each one. It’s okay to have those moments when you over indulge, but… it’s better to savor and enjoy moderately. “It’s a marathon, not a race.” — too many people.

I’m subbing for a show in town called “Country Sunshine.” I received the music two days before my first show. I never had a chance to rehearse the show with others.I show up quietly. I don’t try to make too much of an impression, just enough to let others know that I’m here for them. When I play, I must play like I’ve played the show my whole life. I must not hesitate. If I make a mistake, I make it big. When I finish, I must leave just as quietly as I arrived. When the regular returns, the others should believe that person never left. So what’s the life lesson here? How do we relate to customers like a sub?Your customers, students, donors, fans have a life outside of you and your work. Your job is not to dominate their life. Instead, you jump in at certain points, make your mark effectively and with intention, and then leave just as quietly as you arrived.

When visiting a new place, try the following steps:Aimlessly walk and go with the flow of people. Move in the opposite direction of tourists. Visit grocery stores and look for farmer’s/wet markets. What do the staples appear to be? Are there lots of spices? What items do people crowd around? Where do city/government/construction/transportation workers get their coffee and lunch? Spots like these tend to cater to those on a budget and prefer “local” staples and flavors — every day food. Ride the mass transit (bus, train, subway). How do people sit? Where do they look? What stops appear the most popular to non-tourists? Get off and explore those spots. I follow those 4 steps when I travel now. I developed them when I worked on cruise ships. I don’t think they’re novel. In fact, many people from outside of the US travel that way. That’s a benefit of diversity. Strangers influencing you to find and live a better life.

If you want to get the most of the something — like visiting a big city, then it’s better to do one or two things and let life show you the rest. Trying to do it all rarely pays off.

When we over optimize our work and our life, we eventually stop being the mouse looking for the cheese. We become the cat.

If you know someone that is looking for a job, they are likely doing mock interviews. Go to that person and suggest they record their next interview and keep a transcript. Suggest they upload the transcript to ChatGPT and ask ChatGPT for improvement suggestions.Helpful results.

An idea that I am working out. Bear with me.Our eyes and minds don’t perceive things in real time. There’s always a delay, and ours minds fill in lots of gaps.Our minds also lie to us.If all that’s true, wouldn’t we benefit from slowing down more to take things in? To see things more as they are? Slightly delayed.