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Chatting Up

Chatting Up

Part II of III

Continuing my experiment with ChatGPT, I asked it to write a 400 word blog post on the challenges of faith. I then requested it to add a paragraph on prayer. Below is the output, achieved in less than 75 seconds. With the help of AI, I created and posted this in less than 10 minutes, a savings of about a half hour from the typical time.

Faith can be a source of comfort and strength, but it can also be a source of challenges and difficulties. In many ways, faith is a personal journey that requires us to constantly confront our beliefs and values, and to question whether we are living in accordance with our faith.

One of the biggest challenges of faith is maintaining a consistent belief in the face of adversity and opposition. When we are faced with personal struggles, doubt, and temptation, it can be difficult to hold onto our faith and to remain steadfast in our beliefs. This challenge is compounded by the many conflicting views and interpretations of religious doctrine, which can lead us to question our own understanding of our faith and to question the beliefs of others.

Another challenge of faith is finding balance between our religious beliefs and the secular world. In today’s fast-paced and rapidly changing society, it can be easy to get caught up in the secular world and to lose sight of the spiritual dimension of our lives. This can be especially difficult for those who are trying to live their faith in the public arena, where the pressures and demands of secular life can often be at odds with our religious beliefs and values.

In addition to these external challenges, we also face internal struggles in our faith journey. For example, it can be difficult to reconcile our faith with our doubts and fears, and to find peace and comfort in the face of tragedy and loss. Additionally, we may struggle with our own moral and ethical beliefs, and may feel conflicted about whether our actions align with our faith.

Despite these challenges, faith remains an important part of our lives, and it is through these struggles that we can deepen our understanding of our faith and grow in our relationship with the divine. By persevering through difficult times and remaining open to new insights and perspectives, we can strengthen our faith and find meaning and purpose in our lives.

Prayer is a powerful tool for overcoming challenges in faith. It connects us with a higher power, provides guidance and comfort, and helps build trust and faith through consistent and persistent practice.

In prayer, it is also important to listen, not just speak. This allows us to be open to the guidance and wisdom of the divine, and to deepen our understanding of our faith and our relationship with the divine. 

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Chatter Bots

Part III of III

For the final test of ChatGPT, I asked it to ‘Help me write my resume’. The first response was an explanation of the importance of a curriculum vitae and steps to write a ‘strong’ one. I changed the query to ‘Will you write it for me’ and received this response:

I’d be happy to provide a template and guide you through the process, but I cannot write your resume for you as it is important that your resume represents your unique skills, experiences, and personality. Here’s a template that you can use as a starting point.

I added the information requested and wrote: ‘Turn the above into a resume for me.’ Within a few seconds the format below appeared with this note at the bottom:

Keep in mind that you should tailor your resume to each job you apply for and highlight the skills and experiences that are most relevant to the position. Good luck with your job search!’

David Handler
Certified Executive Coach

Contact Information:
[Address]
[Phone Number][
Email Address]

Summary:

David is a certified executive coach who partners with senior leaders to clarify their intent and take action to achieve the desired impact. With over 10,000 hours of one-on-one and group coaching experience, he helps clients identify and resolve blind spots that hinder their success and improve their communication skills. David also leads strategic planning sessions and coaches teams to overcome barriers to progress. He has a special focus on the healthcare, technology, energy, food, and franchising industries.

Experience:

Founder | Success Handler, LLC (2003-Present)– Delivered over 10,000 hours of coaching and more than 300 individual Birkman Personality Style debriefings to leaders from various industries
– Focuses on healthcare, technology, energy, food, and franchising industries
– Identifies key areas that impede leaders from serving effectively and works with them to create behavioral change that improves relationships

Senior VP | International Center for Entrepreneurial Development, Inc. (1998-2003)
– Served as marketing leader for five years at an international franchising organization with nine brands
– Acted as the president of one brand for two years

Co-Founder and Executive VP | Anthony Travel, Inc.
– Co-founded a firm that manages travel for more than 80 university athletic departments, including the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex and the University of Notre Dame

Sports Television Producer | Various organizations (1983-1998)
– Produced more than 700 live events, including NFL football and Major League Baseball, and won two national awards during a 15-year career

Education and Thought Leadership:

– Bachelor of Journalism with High Honors, University of Texas at Austin
– Professional Certified Coach (PCC), International Coach Federation
– Keynote and workshop presenter on leadership excellence, communication, talent management, and strategic planning
– Author of “Words Flow Through Me,” a collection of 15 years of published writings

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Role Model

Titles are an important part of organizational design, helping clarify who’s in charge of what and providing a level of designated respect. Whether a direct reporting structure or dotted-line matrixed model, a clearly defined org chart let’s everyone know where to go for information, support and approvals.

That said, some titles create more confusion than clarity. What exactly is a ‘Wizard of Want’ or ‘Chief of Chatting’ or ‘Randomness Manager’? Those would be three well-known companies’ descriptions for their Marketing Director, Call Center Manager and Administrative Assistant.

The person you want to avoid in one organization holds the title ‘Dr. No’ – otherwise known as the naysayer who occupies the office of the CFO.

Some of the unique ones I like are Creator of First Impressions (receptionist), Chief Listening Officer (social media savant) and Crayon Evangelist (graphic designer). 

My all-time favorite is Minister of Culture; however, that’s probably because the role is filled by Matthew McConaughey at my alma mater. Perhaps I’m a little biased.

As for me, nearly 20 years into this career, it might be time for an upgrade from Coach. Some I’m considering are Chief Questions Officer, Director of Discovery and Change Guru. 

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Help Me

Regardless of the leader’s position, a recurring theme of my coaching work is delegation. Often, it appears as, “I need to be more strategic.” Or, “It’s just easier to do it myself .” Or, “I feel like I’m getting in the way of my team developing new skills.”

When exploring deeper, one of the challenges that regularly bubbles up is: “I’m not sure how much I trust some of them.” While the first level of effective delegation is addressing the ‘trust issue,’ there are important steps you need to follow to be a strong delegator.

With full credit to Stephen R. Covey and anyone else over the years from whom I learned these, here are the ones I find important:

Shared Understanding – How many times have you delegated (read: ‘assigned’) something and when it came back your initial thought was: ‘That’s not what I wanted’? It’s essential, upfront, to align with your team member on your expectations, with clear communication on the outcome you want delivered

What I Know that You Should Know – If this request is something you could be doing yourself – and especially if you’ve handled it previously – there are likely several things you know that you’ll want to share. Taking time to tell your team member your ‘oh, by the way’ lessons will make them more efficient

Timeline – Like any SMART goal, it’s important to be clear on when you need the task/job completed. Having someone spend their weekend working on your project to deliver to you first thing Monday morning, then hearing you say, “Gosh, this could have waited until Friday,” is a classic demotivator

Accountability – Your employee needs to commit to accepting your request… and tell you how they’ll make sure it’s completed. This could include them giving you regular updates, if it’s a long-term project, or your reaching out midway through the expected timeline to check-in and see what guidance they might need

Consequences – Often this word brings up thoughts of ‘I’m in trouble’ or ‘I’ll get fired’. While those could happen in severe situations, the typical need is to let your employee know the impact it would have on the organization should things go awry

Finally, to quote Covey: “It’s delegation, not abdication.” Your responsibility as the leader is to set your team members up for success and be there to support them; not to walk away and show up at the end thinking it will be exactly as you expected.

Oh, and one last thing: be sure to say please and thank you. 

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Lessons Learned

Part I of II

For the past 16 years, each December, I share the biggest lessons that came my way during the year. Throughout 2022, there were plenty:

Good insights – ‘Three of the nation’s best business thinkers walk into a bar…’ Well, not exactly; however, Brene’ Brown, Adam Grant and Simon Sinek recorded podcasts together that are most insightful. Some of the topics they explore are quiet quitting, engagement, and boundaries. While I’m more storyteller than thought leader, I was asked to be a guest on two podcasts this year. It was a lot of fun to be interviewed and share experiences from my four different careers. 

Simple Reminder – Several of my clients said a similar phrase to me: “When I find myself wondering how to handle a challenge, I think: ‘What would David say?’” While it’s not the same magnitude as WWJD, it’s good to know our coaching sessions are having an impact that goes beyond the couple of hours each month we spend together.

Audio Files – Since receiving certification in the Birkman assessment in 2007, I’ve delivered more than 300 individual debriefings and facilitated dozens of team retreats. Those days are filled with vibrant discussion and fun activities that reveal personality styles in real-time. Another survey I use is the Model for Skilled Dialogue, where individuals learn the four communication voices. In October, I delivered it to a group of 125 people at the Houston Zoo. While walking around beforehand with my wife Kathy, the Howler Monkeys were expressing themselves loudly. I recorded their voices for 30 seconds and played it for the group, showing that communication is not limited to humans, even if some sounds are noise to our ears.

Rank Amateur – When dirt mounds popped up, I was certain a family of pesky invaders found refuge in the backyard of our son’s new home. So, I did what any good father would: went to Tractor Supply and purchased a few mole traps. Three weeks later, a 10 square foot area looked like it could host a miniature Moto X competition. So, Kyle did what any good son would: called a professional. He took a shovel, turned over about a foot of soil, looked at me and said: “These aren’t moles, they’re gophers, and there’s probably two of them.” He placed eight tiny traps in the extended tunnels, and a few days and several hundred dollars later… problem eradicated. 

History Lesson – The best TV series we watched this year was 1883, an origin story for the popular Yellowstone. It tells the journey of the Dutton family by wagon from my hometown of Fort Worth to the Northwest. There were moments of joy and heartbreak set amidst beautiful vistas, and realistic portrayals of the challenges pioneers faced while seeking opportunity. Newcomer Isabel May was outstanding as the narrator and central character. Sam Elliott, now 77, still has chops. Tim McGraw, as always, was stellar. Most surprising, as I said each episode: “Who knew Faith Hill could act?” That none of them received an Emmy nomination says everything about award shows.