The CEO of Shopify recently sent a memo on AI, which included the mandate: “Using AI effectively is now a fundamental expectation of everyone at Shopify.”
Reading the piece, I was reminded how rarely leaders give clear guidance on working methods. Too many view this as a taboo subject – the realm of micromanagers. But I think it’s critical for building productive teams, especially when facing such a game-changing technology as AI.
No matter how experienced a team member is, there’s value in talking about working habits periodically. I often discover my best performers are doing well despite a weird collection of habits that slow them down or cause them more stress. Once these are resolved, they are usually even more productive or at least a bit less anxious.
It’s great to see a CEO doing this on a company-wide scale.
The rules for a decent conference badge are simple:
Two-sided.
Attendee name in large bold lettering.
Company name in large bold lettering.
This is obvious to any conference attendee. So why do most badges fall short of this – crammed with logos, small text, and other irritations?
The answer is simple. Attendees are not the primary customers of this product. Our opinions don’t drive revenue. Instead, it is the sponsors and the conference itself who are being served.
Logos placement is purchased. Large QR codes enable scanning tools, which sponsors rent. One-sided printing saves a few pennies.
In short – if you find a consistently irritating product in the market, perhaps you are not the customer.
I usually view work travel as mundane and exhausting. It disrupts my body clock, keeps me from my family, and triggers a pile of expenses.
Instead, on the way to the airport today, I decided to enjoy this trip.
I reframed the flight as relaxation. When do I get seven hours to watch films in peace? Never!
I reminded myself of the luxuries. I’ve flown enough to hold airline status, so I can relax in a lounge – what decadence!
One hundred years ago, it would be impossible to travel to my destination in three weeks, let alone half a day. Tonight, I sleep in Canada! That’s a fun fact to mull over.
After a few minutes, I felt great. What an adventure I was embarking on.
The negatives were still there. But it seemed I could choose which aspects I amplify, and it had a profound effect on my mood.
I encourage you to try this yourself today. What can you deliberately reframe?
I like to take lunch walks past my son’s primary school.
The roar of sound hits me five minutes before I reach the school fence, and as I walk the perimeter, I smile at the unabashed joy within. Kids are crazy, in all the right ways.
If I’m lucky, I’ll see my son. Like any parent, I can spot him at a great distance. Something about his posture and gait marks him as my boy as clearly as if he stood next to me.
He’s not quite at the age where I’m an embarrassment, so when I wave, I get a grin and a wave back. It’s perfect.
But in three months, he will leave for the bigger school, and I’ll never get to do this again. I won’t be able to watch him play, nor walk him to school, nor surprise him at 3pm to take him home.
I’ve been wrestling with how to approach this emotionally. My tendency has been to treat each moment with reverence, as there are not many left. But this has made me jaded. Each experience is tainted by the knowledge that it is among the last.
Recently, I’ve been trying a different approach. Rather than dwell on the inevitable, I have decided to let it shape my actions but not my feelings. I have committed to walk that path whenever I’m working from home, and to be entirely in the moment when I do so.
No dwelling on the future, merely enjoying the madness.
So far, it’s working well. I hope it lasts forever.