Is Sitting Lethal?

Excessive sitting of 9 hours a day (which is more than most of us sleep) can be a lethal activity according to a Mayo Clinic Study. After 1 hour of unconscious sitting our metabolism slows down, the enzymes that burn fat decline, good cholesterol lowers, blood pressure elevates, the pancreas overproduces, backs tighten, joints shorten and the brain gets foggy.

If "sitting is the new smoking" what can we do, especially with the constant drive for output, innovation and agility in business today? Move and sit with greater awareness!

Experiment for yourself and notice the result:

• Walk stairs instead of taking elevators
• Stand up throughout a meeting (and don't harshly judge those that do)
• Walk around the block or campus for your 1:1's
• Run sprints or jump rope before an innovation or problem-solving session
• Breath more deeply and fully
• Stop and stretch every 90 minutes
• Sit up straight and ergonomically correct
• Meditate

Read Washington Post and HBR article for more. Thanks to Megan for the resource!

Be Kind in Thought

Water crystals change from beautiful to distorted based on what is communicated with thoughts and words according to the work of Masaru Emoto. So what does our limiting self talk do to us and what could shift with a little appreciation?

"Be kind to yourself, and your mind will become kind as well. That's how it works." Adyashanti

From Dysfunction to Cohesiveness

If you want to cultivate team excellence, where do you start?

Patrick Lencioni has recently renamed the 5 Dysfunctions of a Team to the 5 Behaviors of a Cohesive Team. It is more than semantics because teams that operate as a unified, synergistic whole do outperform those that don't. And what we put our attention on grows!

Begin by considering 5 fundamental areas of influence. Does your team:

• Trust in a transparent, honest and vulnerable manner?
• Engage in unfiltered dialogue around ideas and different perspectives? 
• Commit to and align fully with decisions (even when they disagree)?
• Hold each other accountable to team agreements?
• Deliver quality results on time and in budget with enthusiasm?

We've found that high levels of trust, conflict competence, commitment, accountability and results-orientation do in fact contribute to team excellence if we focus on what we do want (cohesion) instead of what we don't (dysfunction).

What are you listening for?

Have you ever considered the purpose of your communication?

When you ask questions, is it to tell people what they want to hear, to debate or show how smart you are, to reflect back what you are hearing or to illuminate our knowingness?

And what are you listening for? Is it to be liked, to identify facts and differences, to understand the experience of another or to allow a deeper wisdom to reveal itself?

Notice the difference in your relationships and results when you download, debate, dialogue or delve deep. For more check out Otto Schwarmer's work at MIT.

Polarity Management

Competitive advantage requires polarity management. As leaders, we are constantly faced with figuring out ways to reconcile seemingly opposing forces. How do we get the #'s and care about people, think globally and act locally, lead and manage, achieve quality and reduce cost, be environmentally responsible and make money? As we are able to see polarities as "both/and" instead of "either/or" new strategies will arise.

According to Barry Johnson, "Polarities have 2 or more right answers that are interdependent." He also states, "because virtually all of our 'problems' in formal education have one right answer, we automatically shift into that way of thinking when a 'problem' occurs at work." When addressing a polarity this actually makes the issue worse because it can't be solved so it becomes a no-win proposition.

Polarity Management invites us to "capitalize on the inherent tension between seemingly opposing forces." We need both activity and rest, individuals and teams, introversion and extroversion, productivity and engagement, centralization and decentralization, masculine and feminine, safety and speed, inhalation and exhalation, stability and change, right brain and left brain to thrive. To focus on one polarity at the expense of another actually swings an invisible pendulum back and forth, back and forth, back and forth and so depletes energy, time and money.

To experiment with this concept go for a "figure eight" that is considers both sides:

1. Name an issue you are wrestling with. 
2. Why is it important to balance this polarity and what is the worry if you don't?
3. Identify the up and down side of each polarity.
4. List 2-3 actions to leverage the plus side of both and red flags to raise awareness when you are dipping into the negative of each.

Past, Present and Probable Future?

Found these 3 inquiries in Rob Brezsny's astrology quips and thought you'd have fun with them. Consider your life, your leadership or a relationship and ask:

1. What fossilized fixations, ancient insults, impossible dreams and parasitic ghosts am I ready to let go of?
2. What can I do to ensure that relaxed, amused acceptance will rule my encounters with the old ways forever after?
3. What will I do with all the energy I free up by releasing the dead weight I had been clinging to?

Mindset Intervention

Great article in the Times Who Gets to Graduate? citing that 40% of the students that get to college don't graduate and often those that do graduate come from affluent families. Why?

It's not about money but mindset. One finding from Laude and Yeager is that many students from less wealthy families interpret and internalize setbacks (poor grade on a test, argument with roommate, someone being mean, etc.) very differently than their counterparts. Plus when doubts about capability and belonging are reinforced at home, these students struggle even more.

Mindset interventions influence graduation rates and student well being. A mindset intervention doesn't necessarily change a core belief but it can change the meaning of a discouraging event from a permanent setback to a temporary one! It also builds resilience which is needed in any endeavor of merit.

Experiment with this idea. Think of a goal you are struggling with and ask:

What do I believe about my ability to fulfill my dream?

What skills do I need to succeed?

Who supports me as I pursue my new endeavor?

What self-talk is helping or hindering my progress?

How can I get my sense of humor back?

Do I need to eat some humble pie and move on?

What messages am I attending to?

What would I do if failure wasn't an option?