Eric Ungs

Posted by Eric Ungs

Artists are indispensable linchpins.

When I first started reading Linchpin by Seth Godin, I went to work the next morning angry. I was angry I had to work on someone else’s terms, angry I had to abide by authority, and angry I had to be there in the first place. I honestly had a bad day and I couldn’t stop thinking about what Seth was saying. Later that evening I picked up where I left off and continued reading, and realized I was angry for the wrong reasons.

I don’t wake up to do my job, I now consume my work with my art.

I finally realized the 9 to 5 gig isn’t the underlying issue. The problem is allowing the resistance to continue doing your job. Instead you need to ignore your lizard brain (the voice that encourages you to give in to resistance, to feel content, play it safe) and do the work. Part of the valued art, that everyone has within, is emotional labor. Most people go to their job and tackle their daily tasks. The tasks someone of authority told them to do, the processes to follow, and the lyrics to read. When emotional labor is involved, it brings humanity into your job. It brings the things that make up you into your work. When you can bring your humanity into your workplace you will find passion for your work you never knew you had.

It’s easier said than done… But it’s just as easy to do it too, you just have to do it.

It’s already within just express it. Seth describes it like this: “If you reserve your emotional labor for when you are off duty, but you work all the time, you are deprived of the joy you get when you do this labor. Now, you’re not giving gifts on duty, but you’re not off duty much at all. Spend eight to ten hours a day at work, and there’s not a lot of time left for the very human acts that make you who you are and who you want to be. So bring that gift to work.” This creates value, and when value is created, you’ve gained respect, and most importantly you’ve become irreplaceable. You’ve become someone who is making a difference, a game changer. Indispensable.

It’s as simple as being your authentic self and not being afraid to stand out.

This book isn’t solely about enriching your professional career, it also implies to your personal developement. Quit going through the motions the system told you to do. Instead, do things off the beaten path. The paved path is safe and you feel pretty content, when you veer off into the tall grass, this is where innovation occurs, this is where you make a difference, and this is where you give your gift. You’ve become valuable.

This is truly a must read. There is so much value between the covers you will be in awe. I was constantly writing notes and bookmarking. Whether you’re looking for a personal pick me up or need to find some drive for your work, this book will get you to do both.

Vocabulary you’ll find throughout the book: Lizard brain. Cog. Linchpin. Art. Work. Emotional labor. Resistance. Thrashing. Indispensable. Gifts.

Posted by Eric Ungs

Every other week I will share with you the interesting things I came across through my “e’s Weeks in Review” post. It could be anything; blog posts, tech products, new apps., quotes, etc. If you have found any interesting tidbits or news, please share in the comments below, I’d love to hear about them.

Optimism is the most important human trait, because it allows us to evolve our ideas, to improve our situation, and to hope for a better tomorrow. Seth Godin, “Linchpin”
 

 1.) Google Listen: Currently in Google Labs, this Android app acts as an audio magazine. You can also organize to your liking on your desktop through Google Reader. Great for catching up on podcast’s during workouts.

2.) Social Media 101: Excited to learn Chris Brogan just release his new Social Media crash course book. Also was informed that he and Julien Smith are working on a third together. WebWorkerDaily goes further into detail.

Posted by Eric Ungs

As I am reading Linchpin by Seth Godin, he discusses emotional labor versus physical labor. Briefly; physical labor is the type that causes fatigue, it’s work, hard work that someone of authority has told you to do. Emotional labor is something that is not generally on your day-to-day checklist. It’s a type of personal uniqueness that makes it hard to replicate; your smile, generosity, passion, caring, sincerity, etc.

The top of your company’s totem pole consists of the owners, executives, and managers. These are the folks innovating, implementing, creating, enforcing policy, and ultimately setting your daily agenda of things do to. At the top of the totem pole you are able to see far and wide of the beautiful scenery, but as you start to slide down, its breathtaking view starts to become non-existent, so does your humanity, your voice.

Why is it that at the bottom of the corporate ladder you have NO voice?

It’s assumed that the less you make the quieter the voice. In most cases, this assumption is true, but why? Isn’t the bottom of the totem pole generally the first thing to come in sight considering it’s at eye level? The same holds true for most organizations. The bottom of the ladder being the first, last, and most times, the only contact with the customer. But yet organizations have them abiding by a set of rules on how you should say this and when. Let them create their own voice. Let them use their emotional labor that they share outside of the workplace that has them being liked and loved by so many people. Let them showcase what defines them as a human. This type of interaction is contagious and soon the customer, manager, and your colleagues will catch it. It’s called creating a human relationship. Humanize the workplace instead of always having to read off of a transcript that the consumer has heard a million times before.

Does your organization allow those in contact with the customer have their own voice?

Posted by Eric Ungs

At the end of each week I will share with you the interesting things I came across through my “e’s Week in Review” post. It could be anything; blog posts, tech products, new apps., quotes, etc. If you have found any interesting tidbits or news, please share in the comments below, I’d love to hear about them.

When you have the enthusiasm and the passion, you end up figuring how to excel. — Deena Kastor, U.S. Olympic Marathoner

1.) Brazen Careerist: I finally decided to see what Brazen Careerist was all about and I am glad I did. There are tons of very useful and compelling content. It’s very simple to navigate with its clean design, and finding connections is a breeze. You can either import those from your other networks, start reading and fanning, or, most importantly, join the networks that best match your interests or purpose.

2.) Blogcast FM: Is a podcast by bloggers for bloggers. It was originally a weekly podcast series called ‘up and coming bloggers’, it then took a life of its own. There are tons of great interviews in here to really get your heart pumping in wanting to leverage the opportunities that lie within this space. It paints you a nice picture that all bloggers started out essentially in the same place, making it a litter easier to step out of your comfort zone. I enjoy listening because it keeps my motivation always lit.

e’s Weekly Read:
“Linchpin – Are You Indispensable?” by Seth Godin