ph1llipd, Author at Chris Burkhard

The Power Of Knowledge Is Based In ‘See, Think, Act,’ Philosophy

The “power of knowledge,” the focus of chapter five in “Opposite the Crowd,” zeroes in on a see, think, act mindset and strategy that my father Alan and I advocate.

Many years ago, he was introduced as a futurist at a staffing conference. “He always sees what’s coming,” they said during his intro. He wasn’t comfortable with being called a “futurist” and explained he wasn’t a Nostradamus of business; rather, he worked hard to teach employees to get feedback from their customers to study and discuss. His real gift, he said, was anticipating profit-generating process improvements based on customer insights and feedback.

The foundation for Alan’s way of thinking (and now my way of thinking) was rooted in a company-wide culture. He encouraged workers to collect customer insights and feedback, which was then processed among themselves to identify trends. Alan was, and still is, curious. Back then, he often posed questions to customers – leading by example so to say. He was good at it and he did an even better job of teaching and encouraging teams to use the newly acquired data to improve processes.

Customer insights and feedback are invaluable, and if integrated into operations, can impact and improve elements of service. Responding to customer insights and feedback not only improves services, it may lead to an additional new product, thereby creating a new revenue source. And, of course, it makes customers happy.

When my dad owned a residential trash removal company (one of my pop’s many successful business ventures) the leadership team learned that customers valued “how” their trash cans were handled by his employees. Customers wanted the cans returned to their upright positions where they had originally been placed by the customer when the garbage cans were taken to the curb. They didn’t want them laying sideways on the ground, or trash blowing down the street. Returning trash cans to their original position without trash blowing around makes perfect business sense, right? So why don’t trash removal companies do this? Why is this not a standardized industry practice?

It’s easier to solve problems with correct information. Long ago, a mentor put a sign on Alan’s desk that said: “See. Think. Act.” The desk sign is this week’s featured image and serves as a reminder about the “power of knowledge.”

In my early years, I would bring problems to my father. I just wanted ideas. I’d ask, “Hey, dad, how do you solve this?” I wanted the pain to go away. He would reply with questions – sometimes it felt like 1,000 questions. His prompts taught me the power of knowledge for backable reasoning. That’s exactly what seeing and thinking deliver and are the precursors to acting. It’s similar to, “Ready, aim, fire.” Many people move forward out of order – something like, “Fire, ready, aim.”

The concept of “seeing and thinking” (the power of knowledge gleaned from information) means possibilities are endless.

The job of a leader, a friend, a parent, or a community member is to assess if others know enough about a process to continue with it, whatever that process may be. It’s not uncommon for people to seek advice about ideas to feel validated and therefore gain confidence and permission to make tough decisions.

This is the Burkhard outline for problem-solving AND strategic thinking:

Stop everyone. Back them up. Educate and ask questions to “see” how much they know about the specific process they’re pursuing. Teach them how to get what they actually need to move forward.

Seeing is gathering information, asking questions, doing research, having meetings, reading anything that helps ascertain data. Seeing is a powerful leadership tool and a key principle; it can also be referred to as observation. Make it a priority. Sit in on meetings. Listen to phone calls, interviews, and trainings. Go on sales calls, shadow. (I like to stand at the front of the office, look around, and consider applying Nth Degree to my observations. There is always something that can be done better. Don’t be afraid to see.)

Thinking is more than thinking alone. It’s studying and analyzing findings of observations that lead to realizations that there is still more “seeing” to do.

Acting is a natural extension of good work up front and the result of comprehensive seeing and thinking. It produces better outcomes. It’s human nature to “act.” Leaders need to apply weight to the see, think, act philosophy – especially seeing and thinking before acting.

In the workplace, there’s pain and never enough time in the day. To right challenges, leaders often know the answers because they’ve experienced similar situations many times over. Leaders know the answers and dole them out because it’s self-gratifying – it feels great. AND, employees and our prospects just want the quick fix. They want the answers NOW.

See, think, act is the better way because by handing out solutions freely, leaders teach dependency. “Come to me for answers – today, tomorrow, the next day.” In reality, this construct eliminates see and think. There is little to no focus on gathering the necessary information to do the right thing. It might feel good, but the root cause of a problem is not defined. Is the problem solved correctly? This is the epitome of cutting corners.

Try this instead. Consider it “homework:”

For the next month, keep a journal. Record what’s happening and fold “see, think, act” into the mix. What does the new addition uncover? Is there a rush to action, to respond, to find a solution? Or is something else happening? Is teaching now part of the process? If so, how are the right and better questions reached? Is there direction for teams to go back to customers for more information? How many times does it take to “see and ask” so teams are able to get more and get better info?

The point is: When faced with challenges, don’t jump right into action and try to solve them first. Take the steps, do the right things and reap the best outcomes.

“The way we see things is the source of the way we think or we act.”

– Educator and Author Stephen R. Covey

Until next time,

Chris

If you enjoyed this article, I recommend reading these past Outside Insights posts:

Ten Ways To Empower People

Cut The Strings On Puppeteer Leadership

Live The Life You Want — Not The One You Have

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Listen to the Outside Insights Podcast

At Placers we are making the following Acts of Kindness Promises:

We will be your career coach free of charge to assist you with any and all part of your job search.

We currently have temporary work for folks that need short-term funds.

We will act as a consultant to businesses that need a 90-day plan – free of charge.

We promise to go above and beyond in our individual communities.

If you need help in any way, simply fill out this quick form and we’ll connect you with a helping hand. No strings attached.

Ten Ways To Empower People

Ten Ways To Empower People

In chapter four of the book my father and I co-authored, “Opposite the Crowd,” my dad, Alan, chronicles his early years — from his first memory to his first “grown-up job.”

Alan was only 15 when he lost his dad, Carol, to cancer. The family-owned business, Burkhard Hardware, burned to the ground shortly before Carol passed away. Alan literally watched the walls collapse in the blaze. It was a period of great loss for my dad, but times weren’t just hard for him back then. They were tough on my grandmother, Rose, and her other sons (my dads’ brothers).

As Rose mourned, Alan became increasingly independent – by necessity. He had food, shelter, and clothing, but for the most part, he was left to his own devices. Alan sort of flew the coop, as the saying goes, and found himself walking the line between being a good kid and finding trouble. He had freedom — and he took full advantage of it.

During this phase of early independence, Alan gained an understanding of learning from mistakes. Like most young people, he was figuring out who he was. He was on his journey to see the world. He had to learn to live by being free and failing often.

Using his experiences from his younger years, Alan developed a philosophy about “helicopter parenting” that offers transferrable insights that can be applied to “helicopter leaders,” as I call them. In our book, he said:

“That independence [that I had] is what I would ask parents to do today – empower their children to the point that it hurts. Empower them more than you would ever imagine. Because of the value in empowering them and letting them fall, in letting them take jobs they shouldn’t, letting them have friends that they shouldn’t, etc. Empower them; let them take a trip. As a parent, today, let up. Empower them. Let them be free. Let them learn about life, and it will benefit them.

They’ll go to school, they’ll go to college, they’ll learn, and they’ll end up somewhere with what interests them. There’s plenty of time for that. It doesn’t have to be between eighteen and twenty-two. That’s a precious time to be free to try things and to learn. That’s what I wanted my kids to do, and that’s what I want all parents to do. Kids need that.”

Many parents are looking for the “answer” to effective parenting. Likewise, many leaders are looking for the “answer” to effective leadership. They want to sharpen their skills. How do we all get a true understanding of what it takes to empower people? It starts by defining empowerment.

When people are empowered, they have the capacity and control over their lives. When you empower people, you’re giving them the support they need to pursue their goals in their own way. One of the most effective, yet least understood leadership skills, is understanding and leveraging empowerment. It takes a dedicated effort.

I was taught that, as a leader, true “command” is attained, when you give away control and give it back to your team. The same can be said when raising young adults.

When done well, empowerment inspires accountability and responsibility in employees (or children when looking through the parent lens). Micromanagement doesn’t allow for freedom and demonstrates that trust is low. Outcomes suffer.

Empowerment Strategies for the Workplace and Home:

1. Get to know people. I use the acronym G.P.S.: goals, passions, and struggles. Slow down –listen. Carve out time and create an environment to actually hear so rewarding conversations ensue.

2. Share everything. Leaders and parents often don’t share enough. I was taught to tell the truth and share one degree more than is expected. As the president of a company, I make it a habit to share more than is expected. For parents, this can be tough with teenagers. I gained miles of trust by being honest — professionally and personally.

3. Set up others for success. Ask: Who needs what? Ask employees what they need to run with a project; then, help them find the resources, relationships, or work tools they need to get the task done.

4. Get out of the way. Don’t meddle. Work together. Agree on how and when to check in, and what type of updates you want.

5. Make it known that it’s ok to fail. “Culture” needs to make room for failure. All great businesses make it safe to fail, learn, and grow. So many times leaders and parents say: “Go make mistakes,” but when mistakes happen, they get upset.

6. Show trust. As a leader or parent, demonstrate trust; it inspires others to go above and beyond. When doling out assignments, provide a clear outline of expectations and goals, then let others approach the job their own way.

7. Establish regular rules of engagement. Ask questions instead of telling people what to do. Use this strategy when talking to teams and kids. How leaders and parents present, sets the tone for empowerment.

8. Check stress levels. Cool heads prevail in the heat of the moment. This is a good example to set when pushing empowerment. If stress causes the walls to close in, take five minutes, take a day, go on a walk, whatever it takes to breathe.

9. Teach. Develop the skills of others. Share something new. Plan to help teams and family members by sharing the knowledge it takes to do their jobs or figure out life.

10. Own it. Authority is defined by the act of empowerment. Clarify that employees or children know they have room and discretion to own it.

Special thanks to my good friend and mentor, Frank, who read my mind on the empowerment topic. It’s my sincere hope that this starts a conversation. Feel free to send me a note and suggestions for adding to the list above by replying directly to this email.

Until next time,

Chris

If you enjoyed this article, I recommend reading these past Outside Insights posts:

Cut The Strings On Puppeteer Leadership
Live The Life You Want Not The One You Have
The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year (For Me)

Want to receive Outside Insights in your inbox?

Subscribe to Outside Insights

Listen to the Outside Insights Podcast

At Placers we are making the following Acts of Kindness Promises:

We will be your career coach free of charge to assist you with any and all part of your job search.

We currently have temporary work for folks that need short-term funds.

We will act as a consultant to businesses that need a 90-day plan – free of charge.

We promise to go above and beyond in our individual communities.

If you need help in any way, simply fill out this quick form and we’ll connect you with a helping hand. No strings attached.

Live The Life You Want – Not The One You Have

Live The Life You Want – Not The One You Have

Many of us live our lives “two-faced.” There is the life we want to live, and there’s the life we have.

A discrepancy exists between how we are in life and how we want to be. We can’t be our authentic selves all of the time if we don’t know who we are or who we want to be. Are you just going through the motions at work? Do you anticipate each weekend so you can do what you really want to do? This is the “Weekend Warrior Cycle” and it’s unfulfilling!

We’re all busy — too busy. When we start to think about how to change the cycle, we get sucked back in. Before you know it, it’s Sunday night and we’re preparing for the grind of the upcoming work week. We’re not fully present; we’re conflicted. Our wants are not aligning with our realities.

Look at the foreground of the train track image at the top of this blog. The rails appear parallel but they are actually off by one degree. As you continue to look at the picture and your eyes move down the rails, the track splits farther and farther apart.

“I was taught to think of the railroad tracks and how I have to keep them aligned to who I am. If they get too far off base, I have to make some changes. So that railroad track for me never got too far away. That’s the gap that we get ourselves into; we wake up going to work and doing what we really aren’t and being who we aren’t. We don’t like it or feel good about it. We’re not maximizing our potential.”

– Alan Burkhard

How wide is the gap between what you’re capable of doing and what you achieve? I challenge you to ask yourself why you have that gap?

We’re all capable of amazing and extraordinary things — that’s the truth. So, why do some of us feel stuck? Here’s my take: When we’re young, everything we do is encouraged and celebrated — walking, talking, first illustrations, participation in sports. We’re free spirits and confident in how we approach life – we aren’t afraid to color outside of the lines.

With time, we become familiar with the word “no.” People who love us tell us to walk instead of run, to avoid difficult paths so we don’t get hurt. We get accustomed to hearing negative comments. It’s not uncommon to hear people say that you can’t get a job if you’re not qualified or you can’t start a company because you don’t know what you’re doing — or the funding’s not in place. As we get older, we accept that risk is bad and change is difficult.

Learned limitations become self-imposed. Why not shake negativity and try? Why not go for it? Why not close the gap between how you’re living and what you want for yourself in life? As my pop says: “The only limitation is the mirror.”

As we get older, there is the tendency to succumb to peer pressure and model what we consider to be “normal.” We may stop taking risks. Not me. I adopted an “Opposite the Crowd” philosophy. When you stand alone and create value for others, people notice. Even if you fail and have to get back up a few times.

What’s key to living an “Opposite the Crowd” life is time spent defining who you are and how you want to live your life. What are your personal beliefs or values? Without understanding them, every new idea or shiny object will distract you and steer you away from what you truly want. Most of us know what we don’t like about our lives. That’s a start.

Dedicate time to yourself, then select an aspect of your life to target: relationships, spirituality, career, or lifestyle. Find a quiet place to focus and write.

Most of us struggle with the task. It’s easier to plan weddings and vacations than focus on ourselves and just do the work. Thoughts and ideas will come and you won’t always love your thoughts, but jot them down anyway. With time, you’ll get clear on what you want and who you are.

Repeat the process, with these prompts:

What am I good at?
What do I think about my life, my kids, my significant other, my friends?
What are my values?

Ideas will come and you will define your personal value systems. Get to know yourself and keep the railroad tracks of your life parallel. To be the person you want to be in all of life’s roles, you have to spend time getting to know yourself first.

Until next time,

Chris

If you enjoyed this article, I recommend reading these past Outside Insights posts:

Inspiration, Space, Discipline

The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year (For Me)

The Importance of Knowing Yourself

Want to receive Outside Insights in your inbox?

Subscribe to Outside Insights

Listen to the Outside Insights Podcast

At Placers we are making the following Acts of Kindness Promises:

We will be your career coach free of charge to assist you with any and all part of your job search.

We currently have temporary work for folks that need short-term funds.

We will act as a consultant to businesses that need a 90-day plan – free of charge.

We promise to go above and beyond in our individual communities.

If you need help in any way, simply fill out this quick form and we’ll connect you with a helping hand. No strings attached.

The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year (For Me)

The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year (For Me)

My all-time favorite holiday is New Year’s Day – it offers the opportunity to reset. I set a new tone in the new year by journaling. It clarifies what I’ve done, what I didn’t do, what I want, and how to get there. I highly recommend journaling.

In the last Outside Insights blog, I focused on carving out time and space as a gift to yourself in the new year. Not only is it a gift, it’s a resolution, an opportunity to resolve to gift yourself. But how do you actually carve out time and space from an already busy life?

My wife Kim and I decided long ago to nix big, loud New Year’s Eve parties with strangers. Now, years later and with self-reflection, I realize Kim and I, without knowing it back then, took the steps to protect our peace. Also, after more self-reflection, it has occurred to me that some subscribers may not know how to lead and drive forward with a plan that protects peace and incorporates time and space into a rewarding lifestyle routine. There are the challenges of direction, confidence, or inclination. I get it. Which is why I hope you like and use my personal New Year’s Day plan that evokes a zen-ish meditative practice.

First, if you keep a calendar, get it out and look back on it. If not, revisit the year mentally. Either of these options require solitude and quiet so you can concentrate. Get ready to journal. When I look back, I:

remind myself of where I traveled and recognize the meaningful memories that were made. This year it was Florida and Iowa. They were planned getaways with friends, family, and a misfit gang of aging hikers.
center on key life events and who I spent time with, which can be both painful and rewarding. Reliving those memories stirs mixed emotions. Then, I often plan who I want to spend time with in the upcoming year. (A long time ago, I asked my sister Amy to run a half-marathon and of course, I finished strong in the “Clydesdale” division.)
review my business roles as Placers President, a business coach to mid-market companies, and creator of Outside Insights blogs and podcasts. In 2022, I had the privilege to celebrate the release of “Opposite The Crowd” in its audio version. In 2023, it will be published in e-book and print versions.
discern the results of my hobbies and learning. I wanted to learn dog agility in 2022 with Gracie, our Aussie. That didn’t happen. Perhaps in 2023.
think about my health and goals to achieve fitness in an effort to live my best life. The goal is to keep moving and maintain flexibility.

When I feel like I’m satisfied with journaling about my year, I move on to family matters like our home improvement projects or other ideas we’ve tossed around. In the Burkhard household, the new year is all about attracting birds and butterflies to our yard. We completed a landscaping project last year.

I hope you see a pattern and understand the progression of this journaling practice. I really want you to get the idea of it. Sticking with it is key – keep journaling! I know when I have no new or energizing thoughts and you will too. When I’m done, I’m pleased with my accomplishments and see a new path forward. Also, I recognize what I need to work on since I revisited last year’s goals. The same will happen for you.

The sense of satisfaction and joy of analyzing the year through journaling is surprisingly fulfilling. It reveals my progress and my flaws. That’s what it does. I have journaled this way for 23 years and have the life I want.

This is worth mentioning, a bucket list item of mine was to rehab an old Jeep. It took me 25 years to buy and rebirth one. I finally achieved this goal in 2019. I wholeheartedly urge those who start journaling to stick with it throughout the year.

The process of journaling the past year and forward delivers the gift of time and space while offering the opportunity to reflect on what you want. Start with these prompts:

Relationships

Rate the health of relationships with family, friends, and colleagues.
Identify which relationships are causing stress and why that may be. Are boundaries in place?
Consider how to add value to relationships. What does that look like in 2023?

Goals

List physical accomplishments and goals.
Reflect on emotional, spiritual, and mental endgames.
Make a record of milestone achievements and targets – career, retirement, home, special projects, etc.

Personal Expansion

Focus on self-improvement. What areas need attention?
Check off completed bucket list items from 2022. Which ones will be conquered in 2023?
Hone 2022 skills and continue to build on them. What were they?
Explore new hobbies in 2023. What will they be?

I got up early before the household began to stir and in these dark, quiet hours, reflected on the last 20 years of my life. Organizing my brain, my plans, and my goals is one of the most important ways I practice self-care. This is journaling and meditating with purpose. I realize my progress, list my accomplishments, and notice that some of my dreams came true with hard work, dedication, and a little luck.

It registers the list of both big and small ideas and dreams not yet achieved. I have come to accept that I do not mind failure. I am blessed to have the ability to persevere, persist, and press on combined with the fortitude to fail, learn, make adjustments, and keep going – again and again.

My wish is that you adopt my personal New Year’s Day plan, practice it regularly throughout the year, and find it useful and productive.

Happy New Year!

Thanks,
Chris

If you enjoyed this article, I recommend reading these past Outside Insights posts:

The Importance of Knowing Yourself

The Greatest Holiday Gifts To Yourself: Time And Space

Self-Acceptance Everyday And The Holidays

Want to receive Outside Insights in your inbox?

Subscribe to Outside Insights

Listen to the Outside Insights Podcast

At Placers we are making the following Acts of Kindness Promises:

We will be your career coach free of charge to assist you with any and all part of your job search.

We currently have temporary work for folks that need short-term funds.

We will act as a consultant to businesses that need a 90-day plan – free of charge.

We promise to go above and beyond in our individual communities.

If you need help in any way, simply fill out this quick form and we’ll connect you with a helping hand. No strings attached.

Self-Acceptance Everyday and the Holidays

I don’t know about you, but I spend a lot of time thinking about how I can live my best life:

- Do I have good habits?
- In what areas can I improve?
- Is my morning routine optimized?
- Did I meditate three times this week?
- Did I go through my ten-point morning checklist?

Is it the routine of my habits that matter or the results and how I feel afterwards that make me feel satisfied? I’ve been asking myself:

- Am I a good person?
- Did I do something good today?
- Did I leave my community better than I found it?

Some days are easy and the “doing good” is obvious and plentiful; however, I am self-critical, pensive, and thoughtful. I usually feel like I can do better — I can do better and bring more good into the world. Lately, I’ve been hypercritical of myself and vocal about it. Some of it’s situational and external, but a lot of it is my own self-talk.

When the Philadelphia Phillies made it to the World Series, it just about unseated me. I’ll explain: A game started at 8:03 p.m. and ended after midnight – closer to 1 a.m. This pattern was repeated for more than a week. Combine watching the World Series with my self-care routines and family commitments and it didn’t take long for the wheels to fall off of my disciplined, productive, balanced, and happy lifestyle. I was eating French fries and drinking soda at midnight. I turned into a 54-year-old toddler, which isn’t’ good form for the president of a scaling company. I needed a nap by midday and struggled to keep my eyes open during business meetings!

It was great fun, but it wore me out and I literally started to feel crappy about myself. I talked to friends and family about my current situation and an improvement plan. On my mission to resume bringing more good into the world, I was introduced to “self-acceptance.” By definition, self-acceptance is “an individual’s acceptance of ALL of their attributes, positive or negative.” Essentially, it’s when we accept every part of ourselves — the good, the bad, and the ugly. To be self-accepting you must embrace ALL your flaws and own ALL your past decisions and life choices.

Now the holidays are here and the upheaval the holidays bring are analogous to the World Series curveball and its impact on my life. The holidays add extra to everyday. I’ll shift the narrative and make YOU the focus.

There’s so much to do during the holidays, then pile on shopping, cooking, cleaning, visiting, decorating, wrapping, buying, giving . . . then add time constraints and financial pressures! Visions of your perfect Rockwell holiday begin to melt away.

I’m sharing my list that helps me practice self-acceptance right now. I really do think it helps combat stress.

- Realize mistakes will be made and you will survive them. I aim for perfection even though I know it’s impossible.
- Don’t compare yourself to others. Generally I don’t; however, sometimes I am jealous of the guy hanging holiday lights in November.
- Reach out to others who are supportive and positive when you’re stuck in a negative thought loop. In the past, I never asked for help but I realize we’re all doing the best we can and sometimes we need the assist.
- Forgive yourself! Take ownership of and acknowledge mistakes made, reflect on lessons learned, and let go of everything else. This is new for me but because of it, I feel better.
- Give to others. Be the good in this world.

My primary goal in life is to do good to help others live their best life personally and professionally. I am living my life out loud. If you’re thinking about how to practice self-acceptance this holiday season, please share your thoughts with me. The Outside Insights community benefits from shared ideas.

To quote Tara Brach, psychologist, author, and proponent of Buddhist teaching, “The boundary to what we can accept is the boundary to our freedom.”

Thanks,
Chris

If you enjoyed this article, I recommend reading these past Outside Insights posts:

Build Trust and Keep Promises to Impact Relationships
50 Years In Words
50 Principles for Year 50

Want to receive Outside Insights in your inbox?

Subscribe to Outside Insights

Listen to the Outside Insights Podcast

At Placers we are making the following Acts of Kindness Promises:

We will be your career coach free of charge to assist you with any and all part of your job search.

We currently have temporary work for folks that need short-term funds.

We will act as a consultant to businesses that need a 90-day plan – free of charge.

We promise to go above and beyond in our individual communities.

If you need help in any way, simply fill out this quick form and we’ll connect you with a helping hand. No strings attached.