Q: David's father had 3 sons: "Snap, Crackle, and ?"
A: David!

Q: If you were in a race and passed the person in 2nd place, what place would you be in?
A: 2nd Place!


I love those jokes! The main reason I love them is because they point out just how fast our mind works and how silly we look when we ignore the obvious. My wife likes to point out that I am really quick to make assumptions about what she is going to say or what she is thinking. I of course deny that until she actually does tell me what she's thinking. Those conversations usually end up with me saying something like, "Oh, I see, oops, my bad.". The same thing happens when I'm having a serious discussion with my daughter. I'll instantly assume that she knows what I'm talking about because we've had the conversation before. When she explains her behavior, I again end up saying, "Oh, I see, oops, my bad". You would think that enough of these types of conversations have happened to me that they wouldn't occur as frequently as they do. My biggest fear is that something important will happen at work and I will immediately respond with what appears to be the obvious at the time without further exploration or assessment. I'm happy to report this doesn't happen often but its probably because of the fear of getting it wrong and having to stand in front of my team saying, "Oh, I see,…..". You get the point.

My challenge to you this week is to ask one clarifying question of your peers or leader during a discussion. Practice the art of seeking clarity. Your students, classmates, clients, or fellow team members will pick up on your behavior and do the same. The result is a dialogue rich in meaningful discussion and expectations being made clear. We as leaders shouldn't wait for others to take the lead on ensuring we are able to execute on goals which are clearly defined and ready to be achieved.


Q: How many books can you put into an empty back pack?
A: 1; After that the back pack is no longer empty!


Alonzo Kelly