[2022-08-20] Saturday Synopsis #5
Welcome to week five of the Jenesis Saturday Synopsis, a series in which I share a few notable things that came up in the past week.
Story of the week: The Internet's Dad
I recently became aware of a man who's known as the Internet's Dad. Rob Kenney publishes videos to his YouTube channel "Dad, how do I?" that offer the kind of guidance one might get from a father: how to tie a tie, how to shave, how to change a tire. Kenney launched his channel in 2020 and now has more than 4 million subscribers. In an interview with the Huffington Post a month after posting his first video, Kenney says, "I just thought, if given the opportunity, I would like to be able to share some encouraging words that I wish I had when I was younger." Kenney's own father exited his life when he was only 14. This is such a brilliant idea, and epitomizes the notion of giving to others what one didn't have oneself.
Quote of the week: Leaders who don't listen
This week's quote is by leadership author and speaker Andy Stanley:
Leaders who don't listen will eventually be surrounded by people who have nothing to say.
Leaders reveal they're not listening in a variety of ways: dismissing suggestions from employees, shsimutting down constructive input when it's contrary to what the boss wants to hear, and providing no response at all (such as failing to respond to an email, especially a request for feedback). Employees learn very quickly when they're wasting their time and often respond by keeping ideas and issues to themselves because they've concluded that their input will simply fall on deaf ears. Leaders who don't listen risk losing out on not only their employees' insights but their engagement as well.
Stanley's observation could be applied to more than just leaders. Think family members, friends, spouses, colleagues. The way in which our communication is received strongly influences whether we will bother communicating at all in the future. For example, if you provide constructive feedback to a colleague and receive only defensive justifications in return, you're less likely to offer helpful suggestions in the future.
Recipe of the week: Raspberry White Chocolate Lemon Muffins with Lemon Crumb Topping
This week's recipe of the week is Raspberry White Chocolate Lemon Muffins with Lemon Crumb Topping. My version is adapted from Tina Zaccardi’s Raspberry White Chocolate Lemon Muffin Tops with a Lemon Crumb Topping. The first two times I made this recipe, I followed the original instructions, forming muffin tops coated in lemon crumb topping. Though I succeeded, I found the process far too fussy. So on my third and fourth attempts, most recently today, I simplified my life by putting the batter into a 12-muffin tin lined with parchment paper baking cups, with the crumb topping on top. As a bonus, here is a clever line from e.d.smithfoods that I saw today: "Muffins spelled backwards is exactly what you do when you take them out of the oven."
Song of the week: Summer Breeze
Even though it's August, not July, Seals & Crofts' "Summer Breeze" is a perfect song to celebrate the beautiful weather we've enjoyed in Ottawa this past week:
Sweet days of summer, the jasmine’s in bloom
July is dressed up and playing her tune
And I come home from a hard day’s work
And you’re waiting there, not a care in the world
See the smile awaitin’ in the kitchen
Through cookin’ and the plates for two
Feel the arms that reach out to hold me
In the evening when the day is through
Summer breeze makes me feel fine
Blowin’ through the jasmine in my mind
Summer breeze makes me feel fine
Blowin’ through the jasmine in my mind
Photo of the week: Cows
There's something calming about cows, even when they're bawling in the field. My mom and I spotted this pair as we meandered through the cemetery at St. Patrick's Church in Ferguson Falls on Monday.
Wishing you all a peaceful week.
