The Weekly Minute - Jan. 6, 2023
Happy New Year! I plan to post a brief look-ahead to 2023 with some goals to accomplish throughout the next 12 months. Stay tuned for that…
What I’ve Read This Week
Notes of Appreciation Can Boost Individual and Team Morale (via Harvard Business Review)
Why Notes of Appreciation Are So Impactful
They help people see their strengths.
They focus our attention on what’s working.
They signal to people that they matter.
The Ideal Presentation Breakdown
This is just simple, clear and concise — but I can’t remember where I first found this.
Try to use this 9-slide template next time you’re putting together a deck for a presentation.
Choosing Your North Star Metric (via Future.com)
When learning to ride a motorcycle (I have not done this!), you’re taught that where your eyes go, your bike goes. Look to your right and you’ll drift right. Look left, go left. There’s a lot of power in where you focus your attention.
That’s why nailing your North Star Metric(s) — the top-line metrics that all company priorities are aligned around — is so crucial. Whatever companies choose as their guiding metric, all energy and brainpower will flow in that direction. This can be hugely effective — it has worked wonders for companies like Airbnb, Netflix, and Uber, especially early on — but it can also be dangerous. By maintaining a laser focus on a single metric for too long, teams risk short-term thinking, missing new opportunities, and sacrificing the user experience.
A New Framework
Explain Like I’m 5 (ELI5)
ELI5 is short for “Explain Like I’m 5,” a request for a simple explanation to a complicated question or problem. So, if taken literally, they would explain something in a way that a 5-year-old would understand.
Going back to the presentation setup form earlier, this is a helpful exercise to positively influence and share ideas.
In video form, enjoy this clip from ‘The Office’. It’s gold:
One Quote
“Most people will passively do exactly what they did last year. Whatever you do, don't let that person be you.” - Richie Norton
Misc. Thought
I send my continued prayers for Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin, who has had a remarkable recovery over the past few days since he suffered from cardiac arrest on the football field during Monday Night Football.
Through science and prayer, we received this update from the Buffalo Bill on Friday morning:
Per the physicians at UCMC, Damar’s breathing tube was removed overnight. He continues to progress remarkably in his recovery.
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) January 6, 2023
His neurologic function remains intact and he has been able to talk to his family and care team.
Truly a miracle.
