Maurilio Amorim

Month: October 2010

I’m Lowering My Expectations

You go the extra mile. You reach out and give beyond what you thought you should give, and yet, there’s nothing in return, or at least not the return you expected. Have you been there with a friend, a family member, a spouse? We all have, and some of us seem to live in a place where we resent people’s lack of gratitude more than we appreciate our relationship with them.

It’s difficult to be completely altruistic. It’s not in our human nature. Deep within we are always having the inner conversation that says, “what am I getting out of this?” We do it with God all the time in our bargaining prayers: “God if you let me have such and such, I promise I’ll do ____” And so we do it with people we love; people we wish would love us back with the same intensity, appreciation and commitment. That seldom happens.

So today I’m going to try as hard as I can to set my reasonable as well as my unreasonable expectations aside and see what happens. I’m going to love those around me because I’m being loved by God. I’m going to let them off my relational “hook” and give it a try. Could God’s love for me be enough, even for a day? Sounds rhetorical, but it’s a real question.

What would happen if we lowered our expectations for those around us and raised our expectations for how we serve them?

October 31, 2010
Bad, Really Bad Church Signs, Part II

For the Friday post I’m going back to a place where I know and love well and where fun material abounds: the church. How many times have you driven by a church sign that, while well intentioned, it was, let’s just say, poorly executed. These signs speak for themselves even when we wish they wouldn’t.

I don't know about you, but this sign depresses me

I like this sign because Pastor Manning is letting me know that he will offend me when I come to the church by offending me on his sign. Brilliant!

Hanuk, Hanneka, Hannecka. Aagh, forget this, I'm becoming a Christian!

I've got nothing

is that a million Christian Dollars? Like Disney Dollars? Will I be able to upgrade to a bigger mansion in heaven? Sign me up!!

What?!?

Isn't that from Lame-attentions 5:22 (Ok. If they can do it, so can I)

Where was that sign when Oedipus decided to kill his father and marry his mother?

What’s the worst church sign you can remember?

October 29, 2010
Is Your Team Blocking Your Opportunity?
It’s happening all over the place: leaders are hijacking critical projects from their internal teams and implementing a “bypass” play in order to get things done. While you might question the non-conventional leadership style, the wisdom or the potential fall-out inside the organization of such tactics, these leaders are more worried about missed opportunities, missed revenues or loss of ministry impact than trying to protect the organizational pride and inefficiency.

Lately, much of my consulting has been with key leaders who find themselves in endless meetings, studies, and discussions of projects that have been stalled for months and even years because of organizational inertia. As leaders they see the opportunity and want to seize the moment, but cannot make forward progress with their teams.

Fear, incompetent, ignorance, philosophical differences, and so many other issues often play into this organizational paralysis that keeps a lot of good businesses and ministries from making a strategic move. However, in my experience organizations have a window of opportunity in which to leverage a new technology, a new venture or a potential outreach. But then enters the obligatory company buy in. And trust me, I understand the need for the widest acceptance possible, but sometimes that’s the kiss of death. I’ve sat in meetings where I knew the project at hand would never get done: too many people, too many opinions, too much fear. Somewhere along the road, leaders have bought into the idea that they lead a democratic organization and if the majority is not excited about a project, then they will not pursuit it. That’s bad thinking.

If as a leader, you cannot dismantle the machine and start over, then it’s time for your “bypass” play. Here’s what I’ve seen work:
- Keep your team as small as you can: two to three people is ideal
- Make your scope focused and manageable. Think delivery in weeks, not months.
- Understand the project’s critical mass: What’s the minimum we need to make this work.
- It’s more important to deliver it fast than to have it fully right. Trust me on this one. Nothing is perfect. People remember the first in a class, not necessarily the best.
Take inventory. What project or initiative you have been trying to get done that has dragged on and on? What about something cutting edge that you just know your people will torpedo it before it even gets born? Maybe it’s your bypass time.

If you could call a bypass play at work, what would you do, or create?
October 28, 2010
Could Art Be Your Best Business Tool?

Most of the day had dragged on, slower than my fast-paced norm. But suddenly I looked up and two hours had passed without my knowledge. Instead of tired and restless, I felt energized by the task at hand. I had just spent time doing something artistic. I had offered to take head shots of a friend and had lost myself in getting it ready. While I can’t quantify it, the pursuit of art for its own sake transcends my mind from tasks and deadlines into the realm of infinite possibilities. I’m convinced that an artistic endeavor will make you a better professional, no matter your field.

I shot this portrait of my friend Mitch Ebie for his blog

I remember dreaming up what became The A Group during a week-long beach vacation. I had purchased 5 business books and was ready to start on my first one when a stranger walked up to me and said, “you’re not going to read this on vacation, are you?” Shamed, I decided to pick up a nearby stick and build sand sculptures. I began with a simple turtle and five days later and five sculptures later, I was up to the elaborate 7 feet long mermaid with Medusa-like hair. These sculptures took 4 to 6 hours to make, but I was lost in time. Somehow during the course of that week, the idea for my new venture was formed.

I did this head shot for my friend Billy Williams is for his board picture at the Jenn-Air Advisory Board

I’m certain science can make a correlation between how people use their right brain activities (creative, conceptual) to impact their left brain decisions (processes, systems). I just know that whenever I find myself lost in photography, painting, sculpting or even cooking, I seem to have my best ideas.

What’s your artistic outlet?

Is there an art form you’ve always want to try?

October 27, 2010
Lies We Believe: You Always Need 100% Effort

Assumptions don’t always work out for me. Well, I could sanitize the word a bit and call it a “myth” or an “erroneous supposition,” but at their core, these are lies that I have treated as facts. Some are as innocuous as “if I train hard I can be a competitive runner.” Well, If I train harder, I could potentially be faster than I am now, but I’ll never be a 5-minute-mile elite athlete. But then there are lies that can derail your entire life. One of them has cost me a lot of pain until I came to grips with it. Somehow early on my childhood I believed that if I couldn’t be the best in doing something, than I shouldn’t even try doing it. If I couldn’t do it at a 100 percent, than I would do nothing at all.

That sounds like crazy talk, doesn’t it? After all we all know that we can’t be the best at everything. Truth be known, we can only be good at very few things. “You’re a perfectionist,” you might diagnose me, but I was convinced from an early age that I was expected to excel in everything I did. I can recall even to this day many activities and opportunities I missed out on because the threat of not mastering them kept me from even trying.

But I have a hunch I’m not alone on this one. I see people who “lapse” during a diet and then they just give up completely: “since I ate that pizza I went ahead and order the brownie and ice cream.” In their minds, once they “blow it” then all the effort is wasted and the opportunity is gone; one slip up and you’re out of the race. I have known people to make pledges to church financial campaigns and not be able to fulfill their pledges. Instead of giving what they can, they decide not to give at all. If they cannot do it at 100 percent, they don’t do it at all.

We all know that we’d be better off with 70 percent effort in our pursuit of health meals than nothing. We should reason that our church could benefit from 50 percent fulfillment of our pledges than our not giving at all. While I’m not advocating laziness, sloppiness and poor work ethic, but I’m certain that sometimes even the little we have offer is more than sufficient.

Somehow we have distorted the fact that doing our best and being THE best is the same thing. It’s not. The first is our responsibility, the latter a big fat lie.

Is there an area of your life you’re not willing to tackle because you’re afraid of failing?

What if just 30% worth of success was enough to make a difference? Would you try it then?

October 26, 2010
5 Things You Should Know About Communicating With Millennials

They are the most educated and studied generation on earth. Parents, teachers, marketers and communicators want to figure out how to successfully reach millennials. As a parent as well as employer of Gen Yers, I’m always glad to find new, helpful research. Recently, I read in Advertising Age an excellent article by Thomas Pardee on marketing to millennials that I want to share with you. After all, if you’re reading this, your life is and will be impacted by Generation Y. If you want to communicate, sell, or reach them, then:

Be Fast

Twitter has taught them to write in 140 characters. If you can’t say it fast, then don’t bother, because they can.

Be Clever

According to Nick Shore, head of research at MTV, funny is the new rock ‘n’ roll. This generation has had access to the best and most clever footage on earth at their fingertips. They reward funny and clever through their extensive networks.

Be Transparent

While we might argue that Gen Yes are entitled and even arrogant, one thing is for sure, they’re not stupid. They know when we’re trying to sell them shampoo or an idea. Find a way to make it fun, and they’ll reward you with their attention. They’ll appreciate your honesty.

Don’t “Technologize” Everything

By their own definition millennials are defined by their use of technology. According to Pardee, “marketers should resist the urge to attempt to ‘speak their language’– Gen Yers can smell those ploys a mile away.” Unlike me, millennials are digital natives. “They don’t use technology, they live it and do so subconsciously.”

Give Them a Reason to Talk about You

While millennials don’t like ads, they don’t mind something that’s non-invasive, non-interrupting that offers them something fun, like an app, an event, or even a personalized fun video that they might share with their network.

As I think of my sons, their friends and my own friends who are in their 20’s, I see them as a paradoxical group. In one hand they seem naive about certain aspects of life I had figured out (mostly because I had to) long before them. On the other hand, they are clever, wise and seem to be able to “sniff” out situations better than I can ever remember doing at their age. But one thing I know for sure, when millennials decide to talk about something, they make sure the whole world hears. And that my friend, is the power of Generation Y.

Beyond these, what other tools have you found in communicating with millennials?

October 25, 2010
Are Your Best Days Behind You?

I heard someone say that his best days were during his high school years. Not for me. My high school years could be described as “awkward” at best. But this exercise created a series of questions in my mind: what were my best days and why? Could they have been my college years, or my early 20’s or the productive 30’s? They all had highlights and yet I couldn’t decide even on a decade. I have struggled with answering that question until I realized that I deeply believe that my best days are still to come.

I don’t know about you, but if I allow myself to think that the best life has to offer is already past, I would have a very tough time carrying on the status quo. As part of my Christian faith, I know that my days are ordained and redeemed by God. I also know that I’m made for a purpose that’s much bigger than me.

I’m not done. There’s so much room to grow and learn and create and accomplish. I don’t think this is unbridled optimism on my part, but a worldview that keeps me growing and reaching forward in order to fulfill what I believe God has in store for me.

What about you? Do you really see your future with optimism?

October 23, 2010
Is It Time for a New Do?

The Fashion Friday post makes a come back. Today’s topic: men’s haircut. This is of personal interest because I decided to grow my hair out six weeks ago, and now I find myself in the awkward transitional stage, or what I call, one-more-bad-hair-day-away from getting it chopped off again. I’ve heard it said that most men will stay with the same hair style of the time in life they felt the most popular. If there’s any truth in that statement then take a look at these pictures, do you see anyone familiar in them?

Aah, the 70's were a frightening time for men's hair. Long but no product and obviously no conditioner either.

Mullets, highlights and the introduction of hair mousse defined the 80's scene. I was guilty of all it.

David Beckham had every possible hairstyle during the 90's. From the faux hawk, to highlighted tips to #2 setting on the clippers, he tried them all

Long hair has made a come back and it's pretty much a free for all.

Thanks to Mad Men, the corporate look of the 60's is making a comeback. I'm making a play for the Don Draper cut.

Do you know anyone, even you, who’s stuck with a past due hairdo?

Are you considering a new hairstyle? Which one?

October 22, 2010
The Day You Become Obsolete

I couldn’t help but to eavesdrop during a conversation at the gym locker room last week. I heard a man named Jim asked someone whom I figured was a owner of a marketing agency, if his business was still doing full marketing campaigns. “Yes, we do.” The interested party then followed up with another question, “even social media?” The man’s answer was puzzling to me in its dismissive nature, “we do all that stuff.” By then I was fully engaged in their exchange. Jim went further to prod, “you know social media is a very different strategy.” Then came the confession, “I’m older than 30, so I don’t get social media,” said the business owner. In my opinion, his days are numbered as a professional marketer. Sometime ago, he decided to stop learning and growing. He’s now obsolete.

I’m a life-long learner. I have made that commitment years ago when at the ripe age of 15, I taught an 80-year-old cook how to prepare a dish. That day settled one of the most important lessons of my life: I would never be too old to learn. I might not embrace every new communication or technology idea or tool that comes around, but unless it’s illegal or immoral I’ll probably give them a try.

Where should you be investing your time?

What should you be learning?

October 18, 2010
Sometimes You Need Off the Bubble

Recently, I have been thinking about the bubble I live in. It’s a very homogeneous existence where I associate mostly with middle age people who look, think and act like me. If I’m not careful, I can find myself trapped in conversation about our latest aches and pains and a boil that needs lancing. Lately I have challenged myself to go beyond my natural “habitat” and discover someone else’s perspective. Life is so much fuller when you get off your bubble.

I have intentionally spent time with young professionals lately and I have truly enjoyed their perspective. One thing that has stood out and resonated with me is what I call the “power of perspective,” or the ability to dream and to believe that such vision can and will come true. I love engaging 20-somethings and watching them approach their careers full of optimism. Life has not beaten them down yet and they have not exchanged eagerness, passion and energy for cynicism, doubt, and fear.

For some, this young generation is a threat or trouble, at best. Not for me. Being around them energizes me to the point of dusting off dreams I have put up in the attic and getting ready begin to purse them anew. After hanging out with the young, I believe the best is yet to come.

What’s your bubble?

How are you breaking away?

October 16, 2010