Author: Joe Lawrence
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Ask the Question
A wise mentor once told me that if you never ask the question, the answer is always ‘no.’ When we never even decide to try out of fear or based on some assumption, we never accomplish anything of value. It is when we are willing to take that first step that we will build the…
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If Not Now, When?
The other day, I was sipping my morning coffee and talking myself out of a much-needed workout. An excuse I made to myself was that tomorrow would be better. Seriously? I just woke up and I am already acting as if the day has gotten away from me! Excuses. Finally, I had to shame myself…
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Allow Others to Struggle
As a kid I was into martial arts. After every class, I would find the head instructor and ask him a question. Apparently, it became annoying because he started limiting how many questions I could ask. He wasn’t being a jerk, he realized I was asking questions to problems I could solve on my own.…
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Working Scrum in Jira
Scrum projects are very collaborative by design. Starting a new project and planning the next sprint bring all the necessary people together who will be doing the work and ideas really get to flowing. Traditionally, the team is in the same room and there are sticky notes all over the place. Jira is a digital…
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It is More Work to Ignore Problems
I remember when recycling first gained momentum in the Air Force. I was an instructor at the time and the recycling bin was in the break room. The students (and instructors) would have their sodas in the classroom and then be expected to drop the empty can in the break room bin. However, I can’t…
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Build Momentum
When things are going great in our lives, we struggle to see the areas where things are not quite up to par. However, the exact opposite is also true. When we are in a bad place, it is very tough to see the positive things. If we only sought out the bad things in good…
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Look for the Gray
This is so true these days. We are more concerned with our own opinions or the binary logic of those we follow, that we miss so much. I have been clouded (and often still am) by my personal views that I have actually tuned out or ignored those with differing views. However, when I force…
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Find the Solution
When I was a kid, I wanted the Trapper-Keepers and cool pencil boxes the other kids had. However, this was not in the cards for me as we were living on a pretty strict budget and every penny mattered. I did not understand it at the time, but I certainly remember the lessons today. In…
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Be True to Your Word
“If nothing else, be a man of your word.” These are the words I try to instill into my son and continue to reinforce within myself daily. My father did the same with me and taught me what integrity was long before I ever donned the uniform. Even though this may sound a bit sexist,…
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Servant Leadership
Today our nation honors a great man: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He was able to open the eyes of our country to the ways other Americans were being treated. He challenged the cultural norms that had been in place and forever changed the face of civil rights for millions of people. He did all…
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