April 2025 | Leading Through Change: From Sketchplanations to Lifequakes
- Mister Mike
- Apr 21
- 3 min read
“If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”
Sir Isaac Newton 1643-1727
Greetings and Happy April! Have you noticed lately that the days when our work was predictable and the expectations of those around us were “fixed” are now gone or at least extremely different? The rate of change has caused incredible acceleration in everything we do. I have mentioned this several times before, but in the past few weeks, change has been beyond our imaginations.
I have a couple of new concepts to tell you about, at least new to me: Sketchplanations and Lifequake.
First, Sketchplanations. A bit ago I came across an interesting piece by Jono Hey in Business Magazine (3/10/25). In his article he asks, “Are you a leader or a boss? If you're a boss, you're probably micro-managing your team, which robs them of their agency and keeps you from focusing on high-impact work that benefits your company. He recommends, “becoming a leader who trusts their team, delegates responsibility, grants them the autonomy they need to learn and master their job and teaches them how to be leaders no matter where they sit on the company organization chart.” He proposes defining and teaching new skills and ideas through simple “sketches or outlines.” For example, how often do we use whiteboards or slides to introduce a new idea? Do our team members communicate to us by drawings and sketches? If we need another way to get a point across, we might say, “Let me show you that on paper.” Sketchplanations can help!
And while we’re at it, maybe we can start setting more precise time frames on our sketches and task lists. This may allow us to shorten the time with some projects and be able to see our goals being accomplished along the way. Setting time frames will not take away individual opinions and ideas but help everyone understand that what they are doing is part of a far greater journey.
The second new term I heard this month was “Lifequake!” Look it up, I did! A "lifequake," coined by Bruce Feiler, in his book, Life is in the Transitions, describes “a major life event that causes significant upheaval and change. These events can be planned or unplanned, positive or negative, often leading to a transition period during which individuals must recalibrate their lives.” We have all experienced “lifequakes” and maybe didn’t even know it! Well, now you have a term to use during your “best of times” and your “worst of times!”
We have undoubtedly experienced “lifequakes” in our businesses, as have each of our employees. When these times of upheaval occur, we as leaders must be prepared to be ready to “recalibrate” our work environment, or at the very least, be ready to assist people in difficult situations. Sometimes these situations may only take sitting down, putting our heads together, and coming up with a logical solution. Other times, more creative, extended times of figuring things out may be needed. Hey! Maybe even some sketching!!!
---More Thoughts for Your Month ---
“Most folks are about as happy as they make themselves out to be.” Abraham Lincoln
“You never know how strong you are until being strong is your only choice.” Bob Marley (Lifequake?)
A special thank you to my support team!
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