Author: davebair (Page 3 of 7)

Running for the Board

July 1, 2015 /

I am running for the board. Specifically, I am asking your support to elect me to the board of directors for the Balloon Federation of America. I am seeking to represent the North Central region of the BFA. This region is defined by ten states shown below (MN, IA, MO, ND, SD, NE, KS, MT, CO):

North Central Region of the BFA

I find it amusing and somewhat ironic that I have been so busy at work and in life and in ballooning that I have not written a post for this blog site in four months…and this post is about signing up for more busyness. To make it even more funny, the last post was written in the heat of busyness about When to Renege on your Commitments!

I was first approached about running for the BFA board in April at the National Convention in Reno. At first, I shrugged it off thinking there were people more qualified than I and I was busy enough right now. Those things are certainly true, and the more I thought about it, the more I feel compelled to join the leadership of this organization. I don’t yet know what value I can add, but I do feel I can help out. I am honored and humbled to be asked to run.

This is not a done deal – I have a competitor. Tim Cloyd is a long time balloonist in the mid-West who has done some great things for ballooning. Most recently (that I am aware of), he did an Extreme Flight to Find a Cure to raise money and awareness for cancer research. This is a great example of how we can use this fun sport to engage more people and make the world a better place. Obviously, the BFA will be in good hands if he wins this race, and I wish him well.

So, if you are a member of the North Central region of the BFA, check out my bio and candidate statement at https://davebair.co/bfa/ and prepare to vote at the end of July.

Wish Me Luck!

When To Renege on Your Commitment

February 20, 2015 /

I am a big fan of doing what I said I would do. I consider that to be a sign of trustworthiness and reliability. Interestingly, if you fail to meet your commitment once it is not that big of a deal, but a trend means people discount your word completely.

Always Keep Your Commitments

I think if we start with the attitude of always keeping all the commitments we make, we will all be better off. The keys to being successful at that include

  • Consider Carefully – Before you make any commitment, regardless of how big or small, truly consider whether you can pull it off. Given everything you know right now, can you really do that? Can you do it well and on time? It is great to take risks or have “stretch goals” and please make them at least a little realistic.
  • Accept Inconvenience – When we agreed to this, it might have sounded easy. Now that you are neck deep in it..not so much. “This is such a mess, I didn’t realize how much I would have to clean up before I could do my work.” The other day, I agreed to do a small house project that would involve cutting some baseboard material, painting it and installing it. No problem – should take an hour, tops! As it turns out that one hour estimate was poorly informed. When I went to the garage to start, I realized I had not cleaned up my last project (or seven). As a result, the first hour of this one hour project was spent organizing the work bench so I could get to the saw. The effect is the job did not get done in an hour, so I was not able to do the next thing I really wanted to do. However, rather than weaken my word, I kept at it and finished, even though it was inconvenient for me.

Except When You Should Renege

If keeping all our commitments is a starting point in our thinking, that is great. However, it is not reasonable all the time. So, when should you bail out?

  • The World Changed – In 2006, Seth Godin did a TED Talk called This is Broken. I have watched it several times and I like it more and more each time. The point he makes that is relevant here today is some things are broken because the world changed. My friend recently (casually) agreed to do some balloon work for me in May. He is very talented and a great fit for the job, and he was more than happy to do it. Last week, he got a new job that is a 10-hour drive away. His world changed, and I think it is OK for him to bail on my job.
  • Your Health is at Risk – Although I believe accepting inconvenience is a good idea, there are limits. When you have been working tons of hours and the kids are all sick and the dishwasher is broken and you have had a raging headache for three days…you might need a break. With as much warning as possible, you should cancel your commitments and take care of yourself first. If you are not healthy, you are useless. Remember, this includes mental and emotional health. If you ignore your emotional health on a regular basis, I encourage you to watch this TED Talk with Guy Winch.
  • You Should have Said No – Back to that Careful Consideration thing. When you immediately have buyer’s remorse over an agreement, bail out quickly. You go to lunch with a friend and they ask a favor. Through guilt, care, or habit you agree. Moments later you get in the car and ask yourself, “Why did I agree to that, I can’t do that.” Call your friend quickly and renege. Sure, that might be a tough conversation, but it is better to rip off that band-aid quickly instead of letting the decision fester.

Your Next Move

Are you overcommitted?

If so, it is time to change your habits about committing in the first place, then go back and evaluate what agreements you can get out of. In my experience, it took about six months before my calendar was markedly different…and it was worth it.

The Ugly Side of a Big Vision

February 6, 2015 /

Last week, I wrote about how a project with a big vision brings people out of the woodwork to help, and that is wonderful. However, there is a downside to having a big vision people want to rally around. Here is what to watch out for.

The Wrong People

When you declare to the world you are going to set off on an amazing adventure, lots of people will want to join, eventually. It often starts with derision and questioning, but eventually people want to join in. That can be very confirming and relieving to the leader, if they are the right people. Here are three people to send packing.

  • Hangers On. People who want to be involved so they can look cool and feel included. Those things are not bad in their own right, but can represent dead weight if that is the only reason they are there. If you have a mission to accomplish, you need people to carry their own weight.
  • Rabbit Holes. People who sign on to support your vision, then “suggest” we also include other things in the adventure. One church I worked with was really investing in the homeless in their town. People signed on to help those folks get food, clothing, bibles, and so on. Then, a late-comer to the project distracted the whole ministry down their rabbit hole of resources for orphans in another country. Here is the challenge: that ministry idea is great, and needed. However, it is not our vision, so it is a distraction. As a result, both ministries attempted to function in parallel for a while, but neither were very successful.
  • Credit Hounds. Everyone deserves credit and accolades for the work they do and the help they provide. For many those accolades are fuel to keep them fighting the good fight – so hand them out early and often. However, when you find people fighting for credit (arguing who “really” did that work, elbowing into the camera shot on TV, etc.) they have lost the desire for the mission and are now fighting for themselves. That is destructive to the group, and usually diminishes the actual work they are getting done.

The Media Hype

When big things happen in our world, the media often gets involved. That can be very helpful if it generates some awareness, excitement, and even funding for the adventure. However, a few things the media can bring that are less helpful…

  • Wrong Information. Media professionals used to fact-check anything reported. In these days of quick reporting, the accuracy of reporting has gone downhill. For example, in this homeless ministry. The church visited downtown and fed about 100 people each week, and had done it reliably for about three months. The reporter was excited on the news, “…they feed over 1000 each week”. Umm, not so much but thanks for trying. Help them out with a fact sheet they can read from on the news.
  • Shooting Star. Media attention is fun, but fleeting. Often times, the media is most interested right before or after a “big event”, not the long haul it takes to make a vision happen. For example, in that world record, the media was very excited around the launch, then pretty quiet for the flight, then had a huge amount of activity right after the landing. That is all great stuff. However, for the people doing the work, it is dangerous to get caught up in that media and forget there is still work to do. After the cameras left, it was still necessary to recovery the equipment, ship it home, file the paperwork for the record, get it approved, and so on. The media attention fades, your attention should not.

Your Next Move

If you are working on a big vision project, evaluate who you have on board. If you have any of the wrong people, clean house a little and your speed and accomplishment will likely improve. Feel free to let the media be involved, but don’t let them distract you from your vision.

By the Way – the balloon flight was a HUGE success. Two world records, safe landing, and a bunch of great memories for the whole team!

http://pacificballoon.com/tracking/index.php

Setting a World Record

January 27, 2015 /

Right now, I have friends working on setting two world records. The Two Eagles Balloon Team has launched a helium balloon in Saga, Japan headed for North America to break the distance and duration records in gas ballooning that were set more than 30 years ago. It is a very cool adventure and worth tracking to see how it turns out. What has been really impressive is how many people around the world are tuned in and want to help out. Ballooning is already a pretty close-knit group, and it is still impressive to me. So, why do people rally around something like this?

Do Something Big

I think people like to help out on projects that are big. Bigger than they have ever done, or may ever do. It is very unlikely I will ever attempt or hold a world record at anything. That is OK with me. It is a great privilege for me to work with people who are doing big things. In fact, although I don’t really do much, it is still a great ego boost to say, “I helped with that.”

The same is true of our workplace; people like to join something big. As you lead your organization, is your vision big enough to rally the troops and get them fired up?

Leading is Lonely

We often hear that leadership is lonely. As we blaze a trail into the unknown, we feel like we are on our own. I think that is true when we have a really big vision. It is big because nobody has done it before. If we wanted to feel comfortable we would join the masses and do something mundane.

However, I think the loneliness can also come when we shrink from that big hairy audacious goal and pick something easier. If you are feeling lonely, I suggest two things.

  • Gather a Tribe. There are others like you trying to change the world. Find those folks and gather a tribe to support each other. Even if you are in different parts of the world, relating challenges with peers can bring great comfort, support, and insight. In fact, we think this is so important for church leaders that we started a whole section of our company dedicated to Tribes.
  • Get a Bigger Vision. While leading the pack is genuinely lonely at times, you should also expect people to come out of the woodwork and ask to join. I am getting calls and emails every day from people who want to support this balloon flight. If you are not getting that support, consider that your vision isn’t big enough. Is it really amazing enough for people to pause and reflect, then ask to join?

Your Next Move

Go do something big. It is ok to be afraid and second guess the path; and do it anyway. If you are feeling all alone on this adventure, then make sure you are really doing something big enough to be worthy of you. You are amazing, let your work reflect that. Once you are convinced you are on a big enough adventure, then gather a tribe. They are out there, go connect.

How’s Your Inertia?

January 20, 2015 /

http://www.devinhelmen.com/#/lifestyle/

Back when I studied physics Newton’s law regarding inertia was stated as

An object at rest tends to stay at rest, while an object in motion tends to stay in motion

This law was first defined in the 1600’s to describe the motion of relatively large objects in our environment. Think apples and bowling balls. I think it also applies to people.

People in Motion

Benjamin Franklin has been quoted,

If you want something done, ask a busy person.

I think this is because they already have the inertia of being in motion. If you ask someone who “has time” to get the work done, it often seems like the work never actually crosses the finish line. That is because they (and you, as their leader) have to overcome so much inertia to get moving in the first place.

I took some vacation around Christmas this year, and I really enjoyed the break and the slower pace of life. However, I noticed getting back to work and getting in the groove was tough. This is evidenced on this blog by the 33 day span between blog posts. So much for the “weekly” concept! I have been back at work three weeks now, and I am just now getting close to full speed and productivity.

I highly recommend staying in motion if you want to be productive. I am a fan of rest, and know it comes at a cost beyond the rest period itself.

Motion vs. Progress

I remember a friend of mine who hated to wait in traffic. Sure, I get it…traffic is slowing us down, and it is boring, and it is reducing our progress toward our goal. His response to any traffic (a red light, traffic jam, etc.) was to turn on some side street so we could keep moving. I found these detours often cost us more time than just waiting out the original delay. Sure, we were in motion…but was it really progress?

In fact, Newton’s law refers specifically to the term velocity, rather than speed.

Velocity is the combination of speed and direction. If we sacrifice direction in the name of speed, we have rarely gained true progress toward the goal.
There is a tension there: Do I stay in motion to maintain inertia, or do I accept slowing down to maintain direction.

There is no universal answer to that…a “tension to manage” as Andy Stanley would say.

Your Next Move

Two things to move forward here. First, take a close look at your own inertia. Are you moving at the speed and direction you want to? If not, fix it. Maybe you are moving too fast and need to slow down to avoid burn out. Maybe too slow and need to kick it up a notch. Maybe the direction is off or swerving…focus on the goal.

Second, ask people you lead about their inertia. Rather than “How are you feeling?” make the inquiry about their speed and direction – ask about their inertia.

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