I’ve heard a phrase a lot recently at work, “See ball. Hit ball.” when referring to the level of simplicity we need to pursue in executing our work. It’s almost comically simple. And I admit, I've wondered how it can possibly be that simple. As a Milwaukee Brewer fan, still celebrating their first World Series Championship after being a fan my entire life, to me it seems like seeing the ball and hitting the ball, especially if Jacob Misiorowski is on the mound throwing in exc

It was the spring of 2000, and I was only weeks away from graduating, but I still wasn’t clear on my plans beyond graduation. My last semester schedule was light, which should have given me plenty of time to search for my first job. But when the Badgers made an unlikely run to the Final Four in the NCAA basketball tournament, my job search went on pause for about a month. Later that spring, I heard from Eric Johnson form Strong Captial Management. He held an info session at

Sitting in section 136 (corner of endzone) with my son Jack at his first game at Lambeau Field and our first game as season ticket holders, my watch kept informing me that I was in a loud environment. Really? I didn’t notice 😉. From the National Anthem played by the University of Wisconsin Marching Band to the PA announcer encouraging the fans to get loud when the Packers were on defense to Jump Around and Beer Barrel Polka, the stadium was rocking - to the tune of 105 decib

I recently kicked off a training for leaders across the country where I asked if any of them had been to a show on the Las Vegas Strip. Everyone raised their hands. The group was universally impressed with what they saw: energy, precision, and awe inspiring entertainment. I then asked them how many of them had performed themselves on the Strip. No one raised their hands, except for me. I shared my experience in 1996 at the Stardust Casino when the Badgers played UNLV. We perf

Friday night I rushed out of the house at quarter to 6 to pick up our daughter Hannah from swimming practice. It had been a long week with busy work and home schedules, on top of battling a cold, so I was tired, but thankful I remembered to leave on time. On the ride over, I was listening to music and enjoying the experience. When I got to the school, I thought to myself, This is the second time I’ve been at the middle school today, after picking up Jack there earlier. Then i

We recently bought a trolling motor for our pontoon boat. The motor has three ways to control it: a handheld joystick, a foot pedal, and through our fish finder. There were many resources at my disposal to prepare for operating the motor before we took it out, but even as a self-proclaimed lifelong learner, I wasn’t motivated to do so. We got on the water and I shifted the motor into the water with ease because of the simple design and pressed a big blue button that said, "po

It’s been almost a year since Jack’s Perthes journey began. It started with limping when he walked, then an X-ray and MRI, diagnosis, and a first and second opinion, ultimately deciding on casting and bracing as the best option. Most of the time when someone sees Jack using his crutches and comments, they ask what happened, likely expecting that he broke his leg or had some other relatively common injury. If Heather or I are around, he just turns to us and asks us to explain,

I’m reading The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of The Learning Organization by Peter Senge right now, and I have to admit I’m disappointed I didn’t read this book decades ago! Then again, if I follow what the book says about personal mastery, it’s just a part of my journey of growth. “People with a high level of personal mastery live in a continual learning mode. They never “arrive.” Sometimes, language, such as the term “personal mastery,” creates a misleading sense of

Can results actually be demotivating? I can understand and appreciate the importance of results as the ultimate goal of our efforts, but what if by focusing only on results that we may be unknowingly demotivating people and getting worse results? Let’s take a step away from the work world for a moment and use the example of golf and exercise. For golf the result is shooting a good score and for exercise let’s just use weight for simplicity. On a day where you shoot a good sc

“Golf That Matters” is more than the 3M Open’s tagline. After spending four days volunteering there, I came to appreciate just how many different ways golf can matter. According to their website, “The 3M Open is a mechanism to give back to our community and demonstrate the many unexpected ways we can improve lives while showcasing the world’s greatest golfers.” I realized that “Golf That Matters” isn’t only about charitable giving, it’s also about the experiences the tourname

Reflections on reaching age 48 and learning about my grandpa Marvin.

As I return to the office after vacation at the lake and a short week due to the 4th of July holiday, I found myself right back to thinking about behavior change and how our minds work which is a big part of my day job. I noticed that Michael Easter was back on the podcast circuit. Previously, I heard him talk about his book, The Comfort Crisis, where he explored how we benefit from doing hard things instead of always seeking what’s easy or convenient. This time, he was discu

“One…two…and three.” That’s how my grandpa taught me to swing a golf club. His message was simple: don’t rush. A smooth, balanced tempo leads to better shots. Years later, one of the best golfers in the world reinforced the same lesson, just with different words: “Coca-Cola.” I watched a short video explaining Nelly Korda’s swing tempo using that phrase. Say “Co-ca” during the backswing and “Co-la” through the downswing and follow-through. It’s an easy way to keep your swing

I’ve been amazed countless times in my life by incredible performances. A few that come to mind: Vartan Manoogian, professor of violin at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Music, performed with us at a UW Band Spring Concert. I remember being awestruck by the speed, precision, and emotion he demonstrated on the violin. Jerry Seinfeld performing stand-up in Milwaukee. My friend Nate got the tickets, and I still remember a segment about men not understanding what wo

This past weekend my parents brought my DR Brush Mower from back in Wisconsin so I could clear areas inside our yard and outside our fence that had become overgrown. The mower can pretty much clear any area including trees up to about an inch and a half. After clearing the back corner of the yard, I started going around larger trees on a side hill and didn’t realize I was going right over a huge chunk of cut oak. The machine abruptly stopped and I shut it down to inspect.

Sometimes learning doesn’t come in one giant breakthrough. It comes in little moments stacked together over a few weeks; conversations, challenges, observations, persistence, loss, and encouragement. A few thoughts I’ve been learning lately: We went to the Brewers-Twins game on May 16 with Hannah, and honestly, it’s fun to watch baseball with someone who knows almost nothing about the game. She had a thousand questions. Why is that a strike? Why did they move there? Why didn’

I found myself reflecting this week after seeing a post about my high school band director, Mr., now Professor and Dr., Tim Yontz, who recently retired after more than 40 years as a conductor, teacher, and professor, most recently at Florida Gulf Coast University. Band at Marinette High School was more than just an activity for me, it was a source of real joy during those years for my entire family, and it quietly set a path that led all the way to the University of Wisconsin

In our household, I’m known more as Tim “The Toolman” Taylor than Al Borland from the popular ’90s sitcom Home Improvement. Just last week I fixed the invisible fence that keeps our dogs safely in the yard. My wife Heather was shocked when I sat down in my recliner; she couldn’t believe I had fixed it so quickly. (I will confess that I was the one who accidentally cut it while clearing brush.) I’ve been getting better at relatively simple fixes like this. What’s my secret? Le

This weekend, my daughter and her friends from Skyview Middle School’s National Junior Honor Society volunteered with us at the Help At Your Door Spring Gala. They set up silent auction items, arranged table settings, and stayed through the end to help clean everything up. It wasn’t glamorous work. It was the behind-the-scenes effort that makes everything else possible. And yet… one of them said it was “lowkey fun. That’s the part I keep coming back to. Because what they exp

It’s no secret that I love The Masters. Each year, I look forward to the sights and sounds of Augusta National Golf Club coming through the TV. While I don’t specifically remember Jack Nicklaus’ 1986 win when I was seven, I vividly remember Tiger Woods’ dominance, Phil Mickelson’ emotional first win after his grandfather passed , and the yearly drama that makes this tournament so special. For every eagle, hole-in-one, or long birdie putt, there’s a ball in Rae’s Creek, a blow