Small Things Matter

I admit it. It’s petty. But it still bothers me. Sometimes even a lot.

My personal name, Naphtali, is biblical. (Naphtali was one of Jacob’s twelve sons.) Because the name is of Hebrew origin, there are many ways to transliterate it. And the spelling that I adopted is a bit unconventional for many in the Orthodox Jewish community to which I belong. The result is that my name is constantly misspelled, on email correspondence, invitations, and even when I am being announced to media and an organization as a keynote speaker or guest lecturer. No matter how many indicators the other side has of the way that I spell my name (email, website, LinkedIn profile, etc.), it seems as if they have deliberately chosen to ignore it in favor of their more familiar spelling.

In most cases, I opt to remain silent. I know that no malice is intended and there is typically little impact, if any, due to the error. Inside, however, I churn a bit, not because of the spelling gaffe per se, but because of the obvious lack of care that the other individual demonstrated by making the mistake in the first place

Making Work More Like Play

Tomorrow, I will deliver two leadership trainings based on the True Colors Personality Assessment. In this system, people are identified as being one of four colors: blue, green, gold or orange. The personalities differ from each other in many ways, including their approach to relationships and situations. For a more detailed description can be found here.

Of the different colors, I personally identify most with green. “Greens” are, among other things, less interested in connecting with others emotionally and engaging in small talk. Instead, they like to jump right in to solve problems and fix things. (Not surprisingly, this attitude can get Greens in trouble, particularly when dealing with more emotional, relationships-driven Blues. But that’s for another time.)

Greens are also independent thinkers, natural nonconformists that live life by their own set of standards. They are deeply analytical and tend to think about and do things differently than most of their peers. They love independence and eschew outside control. When applied to work, Greens are likelier than most to see their work as play, as in less drudgery and more fun, since they invest a level of themselves into their projects.

balance, business, fun, perspective, mindset, prioritiesNaphtali HoffFebruary 12, 2018Impactful Coaching & Consultingworkplace, play, engagement, leadershipComment

Lessons from My Recent Staycation

This weekend, my family (wife and three youngest children) went on a brief, local staycation. They were off from school (midwinter break) and my older three kids were all away for one reason or another.

Circumstances prevented us from taking the kids on a more elaborate trip (such as to Florida) that many of their classmates and neighbors enjoyed, and so I thought that our planned “trip” to a nearby hotel (with a big TV, a “private” pool, and other amenities) and then to visit Manhattan attractions would seem lame by comparison.

I am delighted to report that the kids really enjoyed themselves and not once whined about not doing something else.

A few lessons that I learned from our local excursion:

Farther isn’t always better – We often think that we need to go far away to feel like we’ve left. That should not be the case. Leaving, in my opinion, is more about relocating mentally than it is about repositioning physically.

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