Workplace Passion

 


 

Passion is not something you follow. It’s something that will follow you as you put in the hard work to become valuable to the world.

The traits that lead people to love their work are general and have little to do with a job’s specifics. These traits include a sense of autonomy and the feeling that you’re good at what you do and are having an impact on the world. Decades of research on workplace motivation back this up. (Daniel Pink’s book Drive offers a nice summary of this literature.)

These traits can be found in many jobs, but they have to be earned. Building valuable skills is hard and takes time. For someone in a new position, the right question is not, “What is this job offering me?” but, instead, “What am I offering this job?”

–Cal Newport, Ph.D.
New York Times
September 30, 2012

 


 

Confront & Converse: Every Manager’s Responsibility

 


 

While coaching many top executives I have noticed that managers seeking “advice” are often just avoiding a confronting conversation. I remind them of some wisdom embedded in the development of our language.

Con is Latin for “with.” Con-front is to face something together, to move forward in unison.  Doesn’t that make confrontation more appealing? Appealing or not, it is a big part of every manager’s job.

Versare meant to turn or change, especially to open or close a door. In early English a con-versation meant talking with a person to make a change, to open some doors and close others. This also is a big part of managing.

Still, not everyone knows or remembers how to have these confronting conversations. Here is my step-by-step guide, for free: tiny.cc/toughtalk

 


 

See also, on this blog, step-by-step conversation instructions with video here:
The Conversation Contract.

 


 

Relative Evil

 


 

During the 1980s, I was an avid admirer of Ayn Rand‘s philosophy of Objectivism. The greatest expression of this devotion was the following short story. The germ of the idea came from this news event. I was very proud of my story at the time. I offered it to only three magazines. I was shocked by their responses.

 

My rejection letters from
The New Yorker and Esquire are below.
The Atlantic Monthly did not bother to respond.

 

Reading the story now, it seems much more righteous and judgmental than I admit to being today. I still love the rhythm of certain sentences, the cinematic clarity of the settings and some of the word play, for example, the double meaning of the title and the triple meaning of DRILLER. Comments are welcome, of course, but please remember that I am no longer the author. He has grown away.

You can read it below this line or click here to download an Adobe PDF that is prettier to print.

 


 

Relative Evil

by Anthony P. Mayo

 

He pressed his fingers to the throb in his temple. Not to ease the pain, but to focus on the rhythmic pressure and blot out his sister’s insistence. Her unpersuasive words sought to compensate with repetition and emotion what they lacked in evidence and reason.

 

“Please Randall, if ever family mattered it is really important now.” Yes, Rachel, he thought as she talked. I know family matters, that is exactly why I am sitting at your kitchen table on a weekday morning. Being part of this family is why his day had detonated from the usual historical exposition to this hysterical exposition. If he were not born a Fleischer, Randall would still be at his desk, working on his next book.

 

 

Randall had just finished his daily preparing-to-get-ready-to-start-to-write rituals and was about to fill the computer screen with historical in-sight when the telephone rang. The first surprise was that the caller was his literary agent. Franklin called for only two reasons, either to report that Randall’s latest book had been sold to a publisher or to report that the publisher was impatient to receive the final draft of Randall’s latest book. Since Errors of Democracy had been purchased only three months ago, he could not imagine a reason for this interruption.

 

“Rand, what is your father’s first name?”

 

“Otto. And my mother’s maiden name was Calabrisi.” Randall was playful. “Is this some kind of identity check, Franklin? Are you going to pass along a secret message to me?”

 

“I’m afraid its no secret, friend. Something terrible has happened. The news is filled with reports that your father was… Rand, do you know what your father did during the war?”

(more…)

015 Curiosity, Confidence, and Your Cerebral Cortex • PODCAST

 


 

Click here for Tony Mayo's podcast

Curiosity, Confidence, and Your Cerebral Cortex Podcast

A conversation with executive coaching client Ron Dimon. Part 9

This latest podcast is part nine of a funny and practical conversation between top executive coach Tony Mayo and his longtime client Ron Dimon. Ron is an expert on the use of information by executives of large organizations. Listen as two experienced business people play with useful ideas in this episode including:

  • The power of being unsure, of remaining “in the inquiry” rather than settling for easy answers.
  • How to feel okay with yourself by helping others feel okay.
  • Presenting to Fortune 500 company executives.
  • The trap of over preparing your presentation.
  • Your brain’s skill for anticipating the future—and the dangerous illusions that creates.

Just click here and either listen through your computer or subscribe through iTunes to have this and all new episodes placed on your device as they become available.

You may also set up an automatic “feed” to non-Apple devices by using this link: click here for other devices.

 


 

014 Sales Skills for Top Managers Podcast with Tony Mayo and Ron Dimon • PODCAST

 


 

Click here for Tony Mayo's podcastThis latest podcast is part eight of a funny and useful conversation between top executive coach Tony Mayo and his longtime client Ron Dimon. Ron is an expert on the use of information by executives of large organizations. Listen as two experienced business people play with useful ideas in this episode including:

Boost your sales by employing Tony’s insights:

  • The surprisingly similar powers of affinity and similarity.
  • Why it is important to sell to people rather than persuade positions.
  • The proper roles of laughter, emotions, and product knowledge in sales.
  • How and why Tony refused a check for $250,000.
  • It is not what you say that makes the sale, it is what you hear!

Just click here to listen now or subscribe on your device using Apple’s Tunes, Android, and other podcatchers to have this and all new episodes placed on your device as they become available.

 


 

The Illusion of Alienation

 


 

No man is an island,
Entire of itself.

 

Each is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thine own
Or of thine friend’s were.

 

Each man’s death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.

–John Donne

 


 

013 Integrity: Executive Coaching Teleseminar • PODCAST

 


 

Click here for Tony Mayo's podcast

 

Integrity: The Most Overlooked Business Advantage

 

Podcast #13: Teleseminar on the power and practicality of integrity: doing what you said you would do, by when you promised, and the it was expected to be done or, as soon as you know you will not, communicating and taking responsibility for the breach.

Just click here and either listen through your computer or subscribe through iTunes to have this and all new episodes placed on your device as they become available. You may also set up an automatic “feed” to non-Apple devices by using this link: click here for other devices.

For other posts on integrity see:

 


 

Tony Mayo
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.