Anwell Tsai
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Health

7/5/2022

 
​What’s more important than mental and physical health?

What leads bright, well-intentioned people to pay lip service and avoid action?

Thanks for caring!

With gratitude,

Anwell 

Shorter

7/4/2022

 
Would your team complain about shorter emails, presentations, and meetings?

Go make it happen!

Thanks for caring!

With gratitude,

Anwell 

Really

7/3/2022

 
​What do you really think?

What’s the real challenge?

How does it really work in practice?

Adding the word “really” is powerful. It signals to the other party that you are interested in what she actually thinks.

How might you experiment with the word “really” or “real” today?

Thanks for caring!

With gratitude,

Anwell 

Three stages of chess

7/2/2022

 
​Players break down the game into three parts to make learning chess more manageable: the opening, middle, and end games. Each stage has different goals. 

For example, if you focus only on openers, you may gain a slight advantage but lose in the middle and end games. On the other hand, if you focus on the end game, you may never get there, having already lost in the first two stages.

Similarly, we often focus on the pitch when we try to gain buy-in for an idea. However, pitches rarely get buy-in by themselves. First, pitches pique your listener’s interest. Then, a spirited discussion happens, followed by actual decision-making.

How do you make sure you’re skilled at all three stages? 

Thanks for caring!

With gratitude,

Anwell 

I trust you

7/1/2022

 
How did it feel the last time someone took your advice and said, “I don’t know much about this, but I trust you.”

If you haven’t heard this much, what might happen if you become that person?

Thanks for caring!

With gratitude,

Anwell

Be audience-centric

6/30/2022

 
When you speak with someone, it’s easy to get caught up in the message you want to deliver. But, ironically, by focusing on the message and not on your audience, you might not get the outcome you’re looking for. 

How might you shift your focus from being message-centric to being audience-centric?

Thanks for caring!

With gratitude,

Anwell 

It's not the pitch.

6/29/2022

 
​It’s not the pitch that matters. It’s all the work you’ve done before the pitch. The pitch is the icing on the cake if you've already earned trust.

What actions can you do today to begin building trust?

Thanks for caring!

With gratitude,

Anwell 

Giving advice

6/28/2022

 
​How many times can you advise people before they tune you out?

Once you understand that, the real question is, how might you build trust to increase the likelihood that people will act on your advice?

Thanks for caring!

With gratitude,

Anwell 

When a friend calls.

6/27/2022

 
Which friends and relatives, when they call, get you excited to pick up the phone?

Which are more neutral?

How are you perceived?

Thanks for caring!

With gratitude,

Anwell

Phone running 0n low

6/26/2022

 
Have you ever been outside and had a phone running low on energy? What did you do?

You might put it in low-energy mode. Close the apps. And most importantly, use it only for essential activities.

We take care of our phones. We know precisely when it needs to recharge and what to do when it’s running low.

How might we take care of ourselves the same way?

Thanks for caring!

With gratitude,

Anwell

Trust faster

6/25/2022

 
​Among your peer group, are you quicker or slower to trust?

Trust must be earned. The upside is you’ll minimize the risk of getting burned. The downside is slower progress.

What happens if you give trust faster? 

Individuals will feel empowered, try harder, and move faster. Playing offense may be worth the hiccups along the way.

Thanks for caring!

With gratitude,

Anwell 

There's always someone else.

6/24/2022

 
​There’s always someone else who has had a more demanding life, faced more significant challenges, or dealt with more physical, emotional, and financial difficulties.

However, that doesn’t discount how we feel about our current situation. It’s not a competition.

What might happen if we validated people’s emotions?

Thanks for caring!

With gratitude,

Anwell 

Bored?

6/23/2022

 
​What do you do when you’re bored or need to escape?

Instead of consuming content, what would happen if you spent your energy creating something you’re passionate about?

Not for the money or attention, but for the joy of it?

Thanks for caring!

With gratitude,

Anwell 

Who do you talk to the most?

6/22/2022

 
​Your partner? Your best friends? Your kids?

No. You talk to yourself more than anyone else. 

The problem is that we often treat ourselves terribly. If a friend treated us that way, we wouldn’t be friends.

How might you shift your inner dialogue? To treat yourself like you would a close friend?

Thanks for caring!

With gratitude,

Anwell 

How long are your meetings?

6/21/2022

 
​How long are most of your meetings? Why?

What would happen if you only could have 20-minute meetings? 7 minutes?

For such an essential daily activity, it’s worth revisiting our assumptions. 

Thanks for caring!

With gratitude,

Anwell 

Learning to drive

6/20/2022

 
No one was born knowing how to drive. It’s something we all learned. Similarly, none of us were born knowing how to use social media, apps, and all of our devices. We can learn.

What new tech might you learn this weekend?

Thanks for caring!

With gratitude,

Anwell

Be like Tom

6/19/2022

 
​How did it feel the last time you talked with someone who went on and on? Who didn’t notice he was dominating the conversation? Who didn’t pay attention to all the subtle and not-so-subtle clues you were giving?

I had the opposite experience with my former manager, Tom. Because he was incredibly attentive, I had no choice but to be in the moment. As a result, we got a lot of stuff done quickly. 

As Tom looked through some papers during one meeting, I glanced at my watch. Immediately, he asked if there was somewhere I needed to go or if I had some things I needed to take care of. He asked in a gentle caring way. He wasn’t offended. Instead, he was more concerned about taking time from me. 

How might we be more like Tom? 

Thanks for caring!

With gratitude,

Anwell 

Emergencies

6/18/2022

 
​Last night, at 9:40, a friend found out he needed to purchase an essential item asap. He had to deliver it to his partner tomorrow in the early morning. The problem was that he couldn’t get to the store, and it was closing in 20 minutes.

I happily drove right away to the nearest store and bought the item. I even thanked my friend for trusting me to help. It feels terrific to be helpful. 

There’s plenty of time later to ask questions and figure out how to avoid this from happening again. 

Next time a friend or coworker has an emergency, how might you act to turn a tense situation into an enjoyable one? How might you ensure they reach out to you for help instead of drowning in emergencies?

Thanks for caring!

With gratitude,

Anwell 

A powerful question

6/17/2022

 
What was it like growing up at your dinner table?

Likely, you can draw many conclusions about your values from this simple question.

Though your childhood has shaped your personality, it’s a gift that you don’t have to continue to embrace.

How might you shift your thinking today to reflect the person you’d like to be?

Thanks for caring!

With gratitude,

Anwell ​

Missed shots

6/16/2022

 
Steph Curry missed all nine of his three-point shots in the NBA finals. 

Does this mean he’s a terrible shooter? Does this mean he’s a terrible player? A terrible person?

No. This is the first time Curry did not hit a three-pointer in an NBA record three years! 

Curry’s mentality is to forget the past and focus on making the next shot. There’s no room for judgment.

In business and life, we often avoid making decisions because we think about the past and keep judging ourselves. What might happen if we moved faster and were kinder to ourselves?

Thanks for caring!

With gratitude,

Anwell

Swimming

6/15/2022

 
How did it feel when you were learning how to swim? Were you uncomfortable? How does it feel now?

Like swimming, biking, and even kissing, doing something for the first time can be scary. And worth it.

What new project might you jump at this week?

Thanks for caring!

With gratitude,

Anwell

Family first

6/14/2022

 
​I recently met a charming CEO and founder of biotech. He inspired me not with his knowledge of chemistry, his ability to raise millions of dollars, or his ability to lead a company for 17 years. 

What impressed me was his desire to put family first with actions. For example, he and his wife will take the day off to celebrate their daughter’s birthday!

How might we show our love for those close to us with actions?

Thanks for caring!

With gratitude,

Anwell 

On the hook

6/13/2022

 
​It’s easy to take credit when things go well. Unfortunately, it’s hard to take responsibility when things go poorly. 

Many meaningful projects don’t reach the real world because people don't want to be on the hook if there are problems. 

How might you show your willingness to be on the hook to help make things happen?

Thanks for caring!

With gratitude,

Anwell 

Stop talking

6/12/2022

 
Yes, giving a persuasive pitch, creating verbal ping-pong, and actively listening are crucial. However, if you’ve already made alignment, stop talking. 

Thanks for caring!

With gratitude,

Anwell

Wiped out.

6/11/2022

 
​Have you ever felt wiped out after staying up the previous night? We often do this for work. Sometimes, we stay up for fun but regret it the next day. 

Have you ever felt happily wiped out after staying up the previous night?

I was thrilled to watch the Celtics defeat the Warriors in person last night in the NBA Finals and happily feel wiped out today. 

What might you try this month that makes you feel happily wiped out the next day?

Thanks for caring!

With gratitude,

Anwell 
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