Are you on mute?
/“You’re on mute” has been the phrase of the month as folks everywhere learn how to control their video call experience. If my mike is muted, you won’t hear me.
By the same token, if my audio volume is turned down, I’m not listening to you.
Way back at the turn of the year, I wrote about the topic of curating your information sources—your inputs as it were—to drive your best insights. See times are a’ changin’ for more. And yes, I now shudder at the title of that article.
100 days on, this challenge has been magnified many times.
We’ve all been deluged by advice-campaigns—folks sharing their abilities in the hope that they can help us through the current crisis. How do we filter out the noise without risking un-subscribing from a source that could be useful—next week?
I’ve revised the exercise from “changin’” to help answer that question today.
Re-Consider the source
Retain, cleanse and renew:
Write out the 5 things you read or heard about in the last month that felt most actionable.
Consider how you received this info—what you read, which conversations they came up in.
What sources will you retain because they are repeatedly useful? These are the people and publications you trust. In my case, their advice is concise, actionable and rare.
What gaps does that leave in help with pressing topics? How will you fill those gaps next month?
Thanks to those who replied to the article 3 months ago to relate your trust in me as a source. That is priceless feedback for me.
In that spirit, let me offer one source you might consider …
Dr Mike Drayton is an Organisational Consultant, Executive Coach and Clinical Psychologist. His advice on leading the adjustment to change—such as working from home—stands out for me because it uses a simple diagnostic approach Are You Looking Forward to Working From Home?
PS Here are four new resources that I hope will provide you with useful insight …
Check out my recent AMA article on insight to cultivate your opinions to inform better decisions.
Listen to my recent conversation with Philip Morgan for discussion of the importance of relationships in business, the value of joining multiple close-knit communities, and remedies for the loneliness of the long-distance CEO.
And a reminder that “Operate a remote business at full function” is available here.
Trusting Technology is a book about forming ideas, exploring opportunities with customers and colleagues, and building your future together. Order your copy here.