11.4 Week 11 11/11/17
Understanding Other Metric
Label Taker
Goal: Take one label off a day
This metric is about keeping me aware of the labels I put on others. It’s called the Label Taker because it is about taking labels off of people. I want to be sure that I am not letting myself rest on the labels I give to others so that I can further understand others and connect with them. The metric is a goal of making an effort to remove on label form someone a day to build a practice of not labeling others.
10.3 Week 10 11/5/17
One More Metric
Ready for the Party:
This metric is about jumping in and not “saving’ my ideas and my wants and pursuing my instincts. It’s inspired by Steve Edge and his idea of “everyday I dress for a party and every day a party finds me.” I have an issue of waiting for the perfect moment, or not wanting to inconvenience others with my enthusiasm. In a way I turn the faucet of my zeal off so that I blend in with others. This metric will remind me to turn this switch on everyday and so I can not put my passion and ideas on the back burner, that now is the time. It is a on/off switch because I need it to be a habit to turn it on, so that I don't fall back into habits of not speaking my mind, not being honest and not sharing my ideas. Then I can be ready and be open to new things that come to me without me being so worried about what the right plan is or the right moment and just go forward and be ready for the party.
6.2b Week 6 10/8/17
Two Warning Indicators
Burnout Level: For me I have a tendency to work too hard or too much on projects. This is especially true for projects for other people. I know that I work best when I am working on multiple things at a time, which makes it dangerous for me to know when to take time for myself. This indicator would be color coded with a green, yellow and red zone. When I am feeling in the green zone, I would be feeling ready to go and ready to take on more. Yellow means, think about whether you can take on more projects or to start leaning on community for assistance more. Red would mean, that’s it, there is no more room for additional projects and you need to stop right now and reassess the workload. I would use this on a daily check-in to see where I am feeling and to help guide my choices for the day. As I mentioned I have a habit of filling my whole day with projects for other people and putting my self-care as the last thing on the to-do list. We all know when something is last on the to-do list it rarely gets done because it is not given priority. I too easily give all my time to projects especially when I am the leader. When this happens, perfectionism takes over. I think “well I have two more hours in the day, why not go the extra extra mile on this to make sure it’s perfect?” when I would best be served by stopping and the project wouldn’t necessarily be any better with the additional time spent on it. It’s that quote “perfect is the enemy of good.”
Hermit Alert: This warning indicator is related to isolation. It was born out of the awareness I have with my trouble with delegating and connecting. How the Hermit Alert works is: Each week, I would look at my current projects and see how many I am doing on my own vs. what I am doing with other people. It is a weekly metric when I look at my goals for the week. If all my goals are just me goals, the Hermit Alert would go off and I would need to dive deeper and see how I can leverage my community to help my ideas come to life. The Hermit Alert is best when it’s about 50% which means half if my projects are small just me things that aren’t ready for other people yet. The other 50% are projects that are in motion which means they need connection with community to really thrive. Also, when the Hermit Alert goes off, it can only be reset by me having a social non-project-related interaction like a friend brunch, phone call or hang out. It can only be reset this way to make sure I am fostering friendships in a non-agenda seeking way, therefore nourishing me and my relationships. This indicator’s goal is to protect me from being isolated, frustrated and feeling lonely since I have a tendency to prefer to work from home. A side benefit of the Hermit Alert is that is requires me to keep a running list of all my weekly obligations, rather than right now I just sort of know what I am supposed to do this week, which means I don’t reach out for the help I need and end up doing everything all on my own.
6.2a Week 6 10/6/17
4 Actual Meters
Activity Tracker:
What: Amount of activity taken each day
Unit: Number of steps
Scale: 0 to open-ended
Why is display appropriate: A simple display of the number of steps and the distance traveled. Giving the user a clear view of the number and what that relates to in distance
Learn to do:
For me this teaches me that metrics need not provide unnecessary information. This activity tracker could also show what the average foot size is, type of terrain, what other people with this app have achieved but doesn’t, it is simple and clear. It measures the number of steps and translates that into distance. The success of this meter is that the “goal” is not part of the meter, the goal the user determines depending on what the user’s goals are. It shows the user the relation of their own step number to the goal number, for me that number is in relation to 10k steps a day. Whenever I use this meter I look at the number to see how close I am to 10k steps a day. This meter also measures beyond that goal. I like that it does not celebrate or punish if I don’t reach the goal, this meter is not responsible for my goal, it gives me guidance. This teaches me that a meter does not need to have a goal to achieve each time, as this meter mainly records and that data can be used during the process to adjust the pace of a project. This type of meter is also helpful as a productivity tool to see if I am making progress towards the goal, rather than having the goal of just doing the thing at all times. This provides balance by provide data about a particular thing.
Egg Timer
What: Heat and Time
Unit: Consistency
Scale: Soft to hard
Why appropriate: You place this in the pot with eggs to hard boil them as it cooks it gives a color indication when the desired level of egg consistency is achieved. This doesn’t deal with numbers and charts, as much as a quick visual image of whether or not the goal is completed.
Learn to do: This is my favorite metric because it shows me that some metrics don’t need numbers, visual representations can be more effective. Since this egg timer only measures the heat and time it’s in the water with the egg, it does not need to use a traditional unit of measurement. When I use this meter it quickly gives me the visual information I need without requiring me to think or pause to assess the data. The three lines show the three options of egg boiling: hard, soft and medium. I want to find a way to create more metrics that aren’t number based as I find numbers can be overwhelming at times. This meter is so simple and direct, but also brings an element of fun because it is easy to use. It also shows me that a meter doesn’t have to be an “extra” thing, it can be incorporated to what it is measuring therefore making it more effective because it is used more. I also like the whimsical nature of this egg timer, it’s masquerading as an egg but it’s really the person in charge of letting you know when your eggs are done.
Speedometer
What: Current speed
Unit: Mph
Scale: 0 to 140
Why appropriate: A speedometer is placed in a place of urgency in the view of the driver. This metric provides an instant assessment of the speed of the car. If the driver is going over the speed limit, they can look at the speedometer and slow down or conversely speed up to meet expectations.
Learn to do: This is a metric of something in process and it provides immediate feedback to the user. It’s not something you look at after you’ve driven or after the project is completed like other metrics do, this is a time of use metric. It keeps you on track and this can teach me to look at what metrics can be used during process vs data collection for the future to help adjust in the moment to meet my goals. This metric has a set scale, unlike the activity tracker which is opened ended, this stops at 140, of course someone might have a car that can go faster than 140, this meter is designed for people who are not supposed to be going that fast. What I like about this meter is that it takes the law into account. I would say going 140mph is illegal nearly everywhere and unsafe, therefore the meter need not have an open-end. The use of this meter is in relation to the posted speed limit, which for my use is a helpful idea to think of what my current pace on a project is in relation to personal sustainability so I don’t overwork myself just because I can.
Parking Meter
What: Time
Unit: Minutes
Scale: 0 to 2 hours
Why appropriate: This is a straight forward timer, it’s display gives the time left on the meter, which is helpful for the user of the meter and the enforcers of the meter.
Learn to do: This meter is helpful because it has a diminishing tracker, one that reduces as time goes by rather than other meters that measure in increasing quantity. This could be fun to have a meter that goes down every time something is achieved in a countdown fashion. This for me would be helpful to look at as something to accomplish, get the metric down to 0. This kind of metric for me would hold the goal for the week, like “ten instances of listening” and then I would check it off every time is happened striving for the goal of zero remaining. What I like about this is that it is a set countdown, not an open-ended “count-up” because for me open ended counters can make me feel like I should do more than what is necessary, but that causes me to not use my time wisely. This will help me do the amount required and not feel like I need to put in more time just because I can. I’m quite surprised how much I am intrigues about the idea of a set countdown, this metric doesn’t let you have more than two hours, so it would require me to use only two hours, if I was using it to measure time.
Metrics: 1 to 5 scale, weekly review
1-Did not practice this quality
2-Exhibit quality 1 to 2 times a week
3-Exhibit quality 3 times a week
4-Exhibit quality 4 to 5 times a week
5-Exhibit quality daily
Week 5 Assignment 5.2
Reduce total metrics to between 5 to 10
Ambiguity Tolerance: Make friends with the unknown, welcome it and make sure to not become anxious about uncertainties.
Responsiveness: Replying to emails, texts, phone calls or at least letting the sender know I’ve gotten them
Pause Before Yes: Giving myself a moment before I commit to something to reflect on what is really the best answer, since I have a tendency to say yes to everything
Listening: Making eye contact, remembering details, asking questions without trying to solve people's problems
Sense of Humor: Finding the fun in challenging or disappointing news and events to help more forward.
Visibility: being present and available for others, attending events personal and professional, sending and responding to communication in a timely matter
Welcoming Failure: Treating unintended outcomes, failures, mistakes as welcome feedback rather than shame to be avoided.
Instigator: Being the person who brings people together instead of waiting for others to organize a personal or professional gathering. This is judged on actual invitations sent (verbal, email, text, etc) and actual gatherings happened.
Honesty: boundary setting, clear communication, avoiding detrimental people pleasing
Curiosity: always learning, asking questions, trying new thing, meeting new people
Five new Metrics:
Build Community: Seek out groups or individuals to assist, enhance and collaborate with my projects
Sharing Ideas: Be open to sharing my ideas with others both in telling people and inviting them to be a part of the ideas and to add their own thoughts to it.
Ambiguity Tolerance: Make friends with the unknown, welcome it and make sure to not become anxious about uncertainties.
Week 3 Assignment 3.3
Here are 5 new metrics
Responsiveness: Replying to emails, texts, phone calls or at least letting the sender know I’ve gotten them
Rebelliousness: Thinking outside the expected way of doing things
Enthusiasm: Finding ways to be generate excitement within a team
Ego-Check: Do an ego review to see if I’m letting my pride or glory hold me back from moving forward
Pause Before Yes: Giving myself a moment before I commit to something to reflect on what is really the best answer, since I have a tendency to say yes to everything
Week 2 Assignment 2.3
And I'm adding these ten NEW metrics to the list:
Risk-taking: Being OK with not having every step planned out, getting out of analysis paralysis.
Unfamilarity: This is about exposure and doing something new to me. The goal will be to do one completely new thing a week.
Instigator: Being the person who brings people together instead of waiting for others to organize a personal or professional gathering. This is judged on actual invitations sent (verbal, email, text, etc) and actual gatherings happened.
"Yes and" to myself: This is an improv term that I use in my work every day. It's about not letting my own thoughts be the reason I don't do something, to let got of self doubt and work towards my goals.
Welcoming Failure: Treating unintended outcomes, failures, mistakes as welcome feedback rather than shame to be avoided.
Organization: Avoiding clutter, letting go of things I am holding on to "just in case." Finding time each week to clean and prep.
Respecting Time: being on time, keeping appointments, keeping a personal/work balance in the schedule.
Listening: Making eye contact, remembering details, asking questions without trying to solve people's problems
Forgiveness: Allowing myself to "fall off the wagon" of leadership. Not beating myself up not hitting these metrics.
Sense of Humor: Finding the fun in challenging or disappointing news and events to help more forward.
Metrics: Week 1 Assignment 1.3
After reflection, I have settled on these ten qualities I strive to cultivate in creative leadership. I chose a 1 to 5 scale, that would be calculated on a weekly basis. The lowest end of the scale would be 1 indicating no action in the area and the highest being 5 indicating the most action in the area. I chose a weekly review system since not every day does an opportunity to work in all ten areas appear, and it allows me to not feel overwhelmed by constant review.
Metrics: 1 to 5 scale, weekly review
1-Did not practice this quality
2-Exhibit quality 1 to 2 times a week
3-Exhibit quality 3 times a week
4-Exhibit quality 4 to 5 times a week
5-Exhibit quality daily
Productivity: doing the work, avoiding procrastination, setting deadlines
Visibility: being present and available for others, attending events personal and professional, sending and responding to communication in a timely matter
Credibility: setting an example for others, walking the talk, pursuing getting work published, attending conferences
Health: Taking care of self to keep mental and physical balance, exercise, healthy eating, mental health behaviors
Curiosity: always learning, asking questions, trying new thing, meeting new people
Creativity: Making new work, collaborating, risk-taking.
Honesty: boundary setting, clear communication, avoiding detrimental people pleasing
Uncomfortability: stepping out of my comfort zone, being OK with others stepping out of their comfort zones instead of saving them from their own growth
Positivity and Non-judgment: seeking solutions, rather than placing blame, gratitude and recognition for others
Expecting imperfection: Done is better than perfect, accepting that seeking perfection creates paralysis
Understanding Other Metric
Label Taker
Goal: Take one label off a day
This metric is about keeping me aware of the labels I put on others. It’s called the Label Taker because it is about taking labels off of people. I want to be sure that I am not letting myself rest on the labels I give to others so that I can further understand others and connect with them. The metric is a goal of making an effort to remove on label form someone a day to build a practice of not labeling others.
10.3 Week 10 11/5/17
One More Metric
Ready for the Party:
This metric is about jumping in and not “saving’ my ideas and my wants and pursuing my instincts. It’s inspired by Steve Edge and his idea of “everyday I dress for a party and every day a party finds me.” I have an issue of waiting for the perfect moment, or not wanting to inconvenience others with my enthusiasm. In a way I turn the faucet of my zeal off so that I blend in with others. This metric will remind me to turn this switch on everyday and so I can not put my passion and ideas on the back burner, that now is the time. It is a on/off switch because I need it to be a habit to turn it on, so that I don't fall back into habits of not speaking my mind, not being honest and not sharing my ideas. Then I can be ready and be open to new things that come to me without me being so worried about what the right plan is or the right moment and just go forward and be ready for the party.
6.2b Week 6 10/8/17
Two Warning Indicators
Burnout Level: For me I have a tendency to work too hard or too much on projects. This is especially true for projects for other people. I know that I work best when I am working on multiple things at a time, which makes it dangerous for me to know when to take time for myself. This indicator would be color coded with a green, yellow and red zone. When I am feeling in the green zone, I would be feeling ready to go and ready to take on more. Yellow means, think about whether you can take on more projects or to start leaning on community for assistance more. Red would mean, that’s it, there is no more room for additional projects and you need to stop right now and reassess the workload. I would use this on a daily check-in to see where I am feeling and to help guide my choices for the day. As I mentioned I have a habit of filling my whole day with projects for other people and putting my self-care as the last thing on the to-do list. We all know when something is last on the to-do list it rarely gets done because it is not given priority. I too easily give all my time to projects especially when I am the leader. When this happens, perfectionism takes over. I think “well I have two more hours in the day, why not go the extra extra mile on this to make sure it’s perfect?” when I would best be served by stopping and the project wouldn’t necessarily be any better with the additional time spent on it. It’s that quote “perfect is the enemy of good.”
Hermit Alert: This warning indicator is related to isolation. It was born out of the awareness I have with my trouble with delegating and connecting. How the Hermit Alert works is: Each week, I would look at my current projects and see how many I am doing on my own vs. what I am doing with other people. It is a weekly metric when I look at my goals for the week. If all my goals are just me goals, the Hermit Alert would go off and I would need to dive deeper and see how I can leverage my community to help my ideas come to life. The Hermit Alert is best when it’s about 50% which means half if my projects are small just me things that aren’t ready for other people yet. The other 50% are projects that are in motion which means they need connection with community to really thrive. Also, when the Hermit Alert goes off, it can only be reset by me having a social non-project-related interaction like a friend brunch, phone call or hang out. It can only be reset this way to make sure I am fostering friendships in a non-agenda seeking way, therefore nourishing me and my relationships. This indicator’s goal is to protect me from being isolated, frustrated and feeling lonely since I have a tendency to prefer to work from home. A side benefit of the Hermit Alert is that is requires me to keep a running list of all my weekly obligations, rather than right now I just sort of know what I am supposed to do this week, which means I don’t reach out for the help I need and end up doing everything all on my own.
6.2a Week 6 10/6/17
4 Actual Meters
Activity Tracker:
What: Amount of activity taken each day
Unit: Number of steps
Scale: 0 to open-ended
Why is display appropriate: A simple display of the number of steps and the distance traveled. Giving the user a clear view of the number and what that relates to in distance
Learn to do:
For me this teaches me that metrics need not provide unnecessary information. This activity tracker could also show what the average foot size is, type of terrain, what other people with this app have achieved but doesn’t, it is simple and clear. It measures the number of steps and translates that into distance. The success of this meter is that the “goal” is not part of the meter, the goal the user determines depending on what the user’s goals are. It shows the user the relation of their own step number to the goal number, for me that number is in relation to 10k steps a day. Whenever I use this meter I look at the number to see how close I am to 10k steps a day. This meter also measures beyond that goal. I like that it does not celebrate or punish if I don’t reach the goal, this meter is not responsible for my goal, it gives me guidance. This teaches me that a meter does not need to have a goal to achieve each time, as this meter mainly records and that data can be used during the process to adjust the pace of a project. This type of meter is also helpful as a productivity tool to see if I am making progress towards the goal, rather than having the goal of just doing the thing at all times. This provides balance by provide data about a particular thing.
Egg Timer
What: Heat and Time
Unit: Consistency
Scale: Soft to hard
Why appropriate: You place this in the pot with eggs to hard boil them as it cooks it gives a color indication when the desired level of egg consistency is achieved. This doesn’t deal with numbers and charts, as much as a quick visual image of whether or not the goal is completed.
Learn to do: This is my favorite metric because it shows me that some metrics don’t need numbers, visual representations can be more effective. Since this egg timer only measures the heat and time it’s in the water with the egg, it does not need to use a traditional unit of measurement. When I use this meter it quickly gives me the visual information I need without requiring me to think or pause to assess the data. The three lines show the three options of egg boiling: hard, soft and medium. I want to find a way to create more metrics that aren’t number based as I find numbers can be overwhelming at times. This meter is so simple and direct, but also brings an element of fun because it is easy to use. It also shows me that a meter doesn’t have to be an “extra” thing, it can be incorporated to what it is measuring therefore making it more effective because it is used more. I also like the whimsical nature of this egg timer, it’s masquerading as an egg but it’s really the person in charge of letting you know when your eggs are done.
Speedometer
What: Current speed
Unit: Mph
Scale: 0 to 140
Why appropriate: A speedometer is placed in a place of urgency in the view of the driver. This metric provides an instant assessment of the speed of the car. If the driver is going over the speed limit, they can look at the speedometer and slow down or conversely speed up to meet expectations.
Learn to do: This is a metric of something in process and it provides immediate feedback to the user. It’s not something you look at after you’ve driven or after the project is completed like other metrics do, this is a time of use metric. It keeps you on track and this can teach me to look at what metrics can be used during process vs data collection for the future to help adjust in the moment to meet my goals. This metric has a set scale, unlike the activity tracker which is opened ended, this stops at 140, of course someone might have a car that can go faster than 140, this meter is designed for people who are not supposed to be going that fast. What I like about this meter is that it takes the law into account. I would say going 140mph is illegal nearly everywhere and unsafe, therefore the meter need not have an open-end. The use of this meter is in relation to the posted speed limit, which for my use is a helpful idea to think of what my current pace on a project is in relation to personal sustainability so I don’t overwork myself just because I can.
Parking Meter
What: Time
Unit: Minutes
Scale: 0 to 2 hours
Why appropriate: This is a straight forward timer, it’s display gives the time left on the meter, which is helpful for the user of the meter and the enforcers of the meter.
Learn to do: This meter is helpful because it has a diminishing tracker, one that reduces as time goes by rather than other meters that measure in increasing quantity. This could be fun to have a meter that goes down every time something is achieved in a countdown fashion. This for me would be helpful to look at as something to accomplish, get the metric down to 0. This kind of metric for me would hold the goal for the week, like “ten instances of listening” and then I would check it off every time is happened striving for the goal of zero remaining. What I like about this is that it is a set countdown, not an open-ended “count-up” because for me open ended counters can make me feel like I should do more than what is necessary, but that causes me to not use my time wisely. This will help me do the amount required and not feel like I need to put in more time just because I can. I’m quite surprised how much I am intrigues about the idea of a set countdown, this metric doesn’t let you have more than two hours, so it would require me to use only two hours, if I was using it to measure time.
Metrics: 1 to 5 scale, weekly review
1-Did not practice this quality
2-Exhibit quality 1 to 2 times a week
3-Exhibit quality 3 times a week
4-Exhibit quality 4 to 5 times a week
5-Exhibit quality daily
Week 5 Assignment 5.2
Reduce total metrics to between 5 to 10
Ambiguity Tolerance: Make friends with the unknown, welcome it and make sure to not become anxious about uncertainties.
Responsiveness: Replying to emails, texts, phone calls or at least letting the sender know I’ve gotten them
Pause Before Yes: Giving myself a moment before I commit to something to reflect on what is really the best answer, since I have a tendency to say yes to everything
Listening: Making eye contact, remembering details, asking questions without trying to solve people's problems
Sense of Humor: Finding the fun in challenging or disappointing news and events to help more forward.
Visibility: being present and available for others, attending events personal and professional, sending and responding to communication in a timely matter
Welcoming Failure: Treating unintended outcomes, failures, mistakes as welcome feedback rather than shame to be avoided.
Instigator: Being the person who brings people together instead of waiting for others to organize a personal or professional gathering. This is judged on actual invitations sent (verbal, email, text, etc) and actual gatherings happened.
Honesty: boundary setting, clear communication, avoiding detrimental people pleasing
Curiosity: always learning, asking questions, trying new thing, meeting new people
Five new Metrics:
Build Community: Seek out groups or individuals to assist, enhance and collaborate with my projects
Sharing Ideas: Be open to sharing my ideas with others both in telling people and inviting them to be a part of the ideas and to add their own thoughts to it.
Ambiguity Tolerance: Make friends with the unknown, welcome it and make sure to not become anxious about uncertainties.
Week 3 Assignment 3.3
Here are 5 new metrics
Responsiveness: Replying to emails, texts, phone calls or at least letting the sender know I’ve gotten them
Rebelliousness: Thinking outside the expected way of doing things
Enthusiasm: Finding ways to be generate excitement within a team
Ego-Check: Do an ego review to see if I’m letting my pride or glory hold me back from moving forward
Pause Before Yes: Giving myself a moment before I commit to something to reflect on what is really the best answer, since I have a tendency to say yes to everything
Week 2 Assignment 2.3
And I'm adding these ten NEW metrics to the list:
Risk-taking: Being OK with not having every step planned out, getting out of analysis paralysis.
Unfamilarity: This is about exposure and doing something new to me. The goal will be to do one completely new thing a week.
Instigator: Being the person who brings people together instead of waiting for others to organize a personal or professional gathering. This is judged on actual invitations sent (verbal, email, text, etc) and actual gatherings happened.
"Yes and" to myself: This is an improv term that I use in my work every day. It's about not letting my own thoughts be the reason I don't do something, to let got of self doubt and work towards my goals.
Welcoming Failure: Treating unintended outcomes, failures, mistakes as welcome feedback rather than shame to be avoided.
Organization: Avoiding clutter, letting go of things I am holding on to "just in case." Finding time each week to clean and prep.
Respecting Time: being on time, keeping appointments, keeping a personal/work balance in the schedule.
Listening: Making eye contact, remembering details, asking questions without trying to solve people's problems
Forgiveness: Allowing myself to "fall off the wagon" of leadership. Not beating myself up not hitting these metrics.
Sense of Humor: Finding the fun in challenging or disappointing news and events to help more forward.
Metrics: Week 1 Assignment 1.3
After reflection, I have settled on these ten qualities I strive to cultivate in creative leadership. I chose a 1 to 5 scale, that would be calculated on a weekly basis. The lowest end of the scale would be 1 indicating no action in the area and the highest being 5 indicating the most action in the area. I chose a weekly review system since not every day does an opportunity to work in all ten areas appear, and it allows me to not feel overwhelmed by constant review.
Metrics: 1 to 5 scale, weekly review
1-Did not practice this quality
2-Exhibit quality 1 to 2 times a week
3-Exhibit quality 3 times a week
4-Exhibit quality 4 to 5 times a week
5-Exhibit quality daily
Productivity: doing the work, avoiding procrastination, setting deadlines
Visibility: being present and available for others, attending events personal and professional, sending and responding to communication in a timely matter
Credibility: setting an example for others, walking the talk, pursuing getting work published, attending conferences
Health: Taking care of self to keep mental and physical balance, exercise, healthy eating, mental health behaviors
Curiosity: always learning, asking questions, trying new thing, meeting new people
Creativity: Making new work, collaborating, risk-taking.
Honesty: boundary setting, clear communication, avoiding detrimental people pleasing
Uncomfortability: stepping out of my comfort zone, being OK with others stepping out of their comfort zones instead of saving them from their own growth
Positivity and Non-judgment: seeking solutions, rather than placing blame, gratitude and recognition for others
Expecting imperfection: Done is better than perfect, accepting that seeking perfection creates paralysis