Restore: A-Z Blogging

     My Organizational Behavior class yesterday morning covered the final chapter where the authors discussed both organizational change and stress.  The pace of global change is only increasing.  Where human knowledge used to double in, say 50 years, in some fields it doubles in less than a year.  For those of us who grew up without cell phones, downloadable music, 300+ television channels (most with nothing productive or of real value), computers or tablets, and instant communication, it is a far different world.
     That doesn't bother me, in part because I'm fairly adept (not competent, just adept) at technology and have learned to embrace and lead change as opposed to fighting it.  Which doesn't mean we need to change without purpose or plans.  I'm a firm believer in Howard Gardner's Changing Minds (Reason, Research, Resonance, Rediscriptions, Resources/Rewards, Real World Events, and Resistances) and Five Minds For The Future (Disciplinary, Synthesizing, Creating, Respectful, Ethical).  There's an interesting discussion of Thomas L. Friedman and Bill Gates talking about the future from New York Times Video, though they foolishly don't allow embedding.   That's not visionary.  It fits more the adage of "The surest route to failure is thinking what you did yesterday will work tomorrow."  I've used that quote from some of my class lectures but don't really have time to look up the source right now.  Somebody smarter than I am I'm sure.

     So how did we go from "restore" as today's word to "change"?   Very simply all that change in our personal and professional lives requires us to rest.  To restore our abilities to function at our best, we need to expend efforts and time to heal and recuperate. Sam Elliot's line from Roadhouse of "I'll get all the sleep I need when I'm dead" is really only a way to get there quicker. Getting enough sleep, eating right, and getting enough exercise aren't just some lofty goals for health fanatics.  They're required focuses for all of us. Particularly if we're in a leadership role.
     So maybe I'm not really writing for anyone else's benefit and this is a memo to myself. There's some time available in 2014 I think.  I'll have my assistant look into that and get back to you :-).