Ocarina of Time and the Importance of Side Quests (11-11-26)

Growing up, The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time, was one of my all-time favorite video games.  Last week they released a remake that I’ve been playing with my kids, and that will serve as the inspiration for this series.  We will start by reflecting on the importance of side quests.

In the game, you play as Link.  Your main mission is to save the world from Ganondorf, but there are several optional side quests you can take on along the way as you explore the vast land of Hyrule.  Alice, my 14-year-old, learned the importance of sometimes taking on side missions the hard way.

Alice had been focused on the main mission and skipped a lot of the optional side quests.  As a result, when they made it to an area with lots of fire, they only had a wooden shield, which promptly was burned to ash.  This could have been avoided.  If Alice had spent a few minutes doing side quests, they would have found the Hylian shield, which is made of metal and able to withstand fire.  Eventually, they realized the shield would be beneficial (though not required), so they went on the side quest, got it, and are now better equipped for the rest of the game.

You might be wondering what this has to do with work.  Is it just me or does everything at work feel like it’s about speed, efficiency, more speed, singular focus, even more speed, and doing everything to get to the end goal as soon as possible?  On one hand, I can appreciate this.  I understand that we have goals and people we are serving.  On the other hand, I wonder what the cost of not feeling like you have the time or freedom to explore is.

In Alice’s situation, not exploring led them to being ill equipped for future challenges.  The same can be said for work.  If we aren’t taking the time to explore and go on side quests, we might be missing on the learnings and skills that will help us be successful in the future.  Maybe, these side quests are larger things like pilots and experimentation.  Maybe, these side quests are more personal and consistent of you taking time to explore new tools and approaches.

The challenge: How will you make time for exploration and side quests?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Being Human and Appreciating Good Moments (11-3-26)

This will be the last in the series about being human.  This week is about pausing to appreciate good moments when they come.

This past weekend was one of the best weekends I’ve had in a long time.  It’s not because it was flashy and adrenaline filled.  It was quite the opposite.  It was a series of simple and beautiful moments all strung together.  The weather was nice all weekend.  I watched a movie with my wife.  The family spent all day Saturday chilling and taking it easy.  We went trick-or-treating that night.  My kids are 12 and 14, and they still wanted to do a family costume and still wanted to walk the neighborhood with us.  We celebrated my wife’s birthday with cat shirts and hoodies, tasty treats, and a relaxing day around the house on Sunday.  It was simple, peaceful, and perfect.

Let’s connect some dots.  When was the last time you paused to appreciate a moment?  When was the last time you truly took a second to soak it in and realize how amazing that point in time was?  If you’re anything like me, you probably don’t do it often enough.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve explored being human.  We’ve talked about being human in the context of an unpredictable ever-changing world.  We’ve talked about being human and being there for each other in times of need.  Things can get tough sometimes, and that’s all the more reason to take a second to truly appreciate the good times when they come.

The challenge- Will you soak in and appreciate your next good moment?

Bonus- We were all cats. I was Cat in the Hat, Diane was the Pink Panther, Cam was Pusheen from comics, and Alice was Yi from a video game.  It was purrrfect!

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Human Cheat Code for Connection (10-28-26)

Last week was about being human and allowing yourself to have human reactions to things.  This week is about what I call the human cheat code for connection.

Have you ever been in a in a particularly sticky and tricky emotionally driven situation, where the person across from you is hurting and you don’t know what to say?  Have you been in that place where you had the chance to be supportive and connect person to person, and instead you froze?  Maybe you were scared the wrong things.  Maybe you were unable to find the perfect words.  I know I’ve been in all of this.

Over the years, I’ve found that there is a cheat code I can use to connect with others in these situations.  Here it is: Be Present+Ensure they know they are seen/heard+ Ensure they know they are valued/loved.  That’s it.  That’s the flow I follow in these situations.  Being present is being there, sitting in the moment with them.  Ensuring they know they are seen/heard is about acknowledging the situation.  Ensuring they know they are valued/loved is about reminding them that no matter what they have worth, because they are fellow human beings.  It might sound as simple as, “I’m here.  This sucks. I don’t have any better words to say that that this is crappy. I know you’re doing your best to navigate all this. I hope you know how much I and others care about you.”  Those words aren’t particularly fancy.  At the same time, if someone said something this simple to you in a time of need, how would you feel?  I’d imagine you’d feel like they were connecting with you.

What does this have to do with work?  People don’t just have tough situations in their personal life.  They show up at work too.  Maybe it’s feeling overwhelmed by the workload.  Maybe it’s a project that fell apart.  Maybe it’s organizational change.  In these moments, people need connection.  In these moments, it might be hard to find the right words, or you might be too scared to reach out.  Using the cheat code will get you there 99% of the time.

The challenge: How will you connect with someone today?

Bonus thought- The examples I used above were more difficult situations.  The cheat code still applies when great things happen to.  “I saw you on that project.  You absolutely crushed it. I see you putting in the extra effort and thinking to make a clear recommendation.  I hope you’re so proud of yourself, because you did great work.”

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Being Human and Having Human Reactions (10-21-26)

Last week was about being human and showing up.  This week is about allowing yourself to have human reactions to things.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve had conversations with folks who felt strong emotions.  Maybe they were angry.  Maybe they were sad.  Maybe they felt overwhelmed.  In some of these conversations the person would share their thoughts and then say something like, “I’m sorry for oversharing” or “I know showing emotions isn’t professional” or “Sorry, I’m just experiencing a lot of big emotions.”

In each of those cases, I’ve paused the conversation to let them know it’s okay.  I’ve reminded them that they aren’t oversharing. They aren’t being unprofessional. They aren’t being too much.  They are being normal humans, having a perfectly normal human reaction to incredibly difficult circumstances.  This does not make them less than in any way imaginable.

Let’s connect this to work. Think of all of the direct and indirect ways that we are told not to have emotions.  We are told things like, “that’s unprofessional”.  We are told, “It’s business, it’s not personal.”  We are told, “We need to suck it up.”  In my experience, those messages are usually shared by folks who are least comfortable with people being real humans.

We weren’t meant to be rational robots.  We are emotional creatures.  I’m also a firm believer that our emotions are always shaping us.  We are either processing them and working through them OR the emotions find a way to sabotage us until we finally hear the message.  On top of that, if we can’t feel or emotions, I think we cut ourselves off from each other, and that’s a lonely place to be.

The challenge- Will you embrace your human side?  Will you allow yourself to have human reactions and feel the emotions that come with this?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Being Human and Showing Up (10-14-26)

Last week was about being more human.  I thought it was going to be a one off, but let’s keep exploring what it means to be human.  This week we will reflect on showing up and disappearing.

Earlier in my career, we were going through some particularly tough times in in the function I worked in.  There was a reorganization and uncertainty.  Things were tense and emotionally charged.  I remember asking a leader I looked up to what to do with all of this.  While I can’t remember exactly what he said, his main idea was to pay attention to who shows up and who disappears.  Pay attention to see who shows up with a word of comfort, a smile, a listening ear, and a soft bit of light.  Pay attention to see who is there for other people.  Do what they do and try to be there.  That is what leadership looks like.  That’s always stuck with me, and when things get hard, I remember that I want to be one of the people who shows up.

Connecting this to work.  I mentioned last week that work was hard, and that many of us are feeling that right now.  Be honest.  When was the last time you felt overwhelmed?  I’ve felt that recently, and there’s no shame in that.  Life is a complicated mess sometimes.  While all this is going on, I think back to what my mentor shared with me.  I think back to the example he and others set.  I think about how I can try to show up for others.  I might not always have the perfect thing to say in that moment.  All I might have to give is a little warmth, a quick check-in, or a moment being present.  Anything I am able to give is worth it because it’s one way to connect heart to heart, human to human.  It’s those little moments that matter in tough times.

The challenge- If you are able, how can you show up for someone today?  If you’re struggling, that’s okay too.  I hope kind words and positive vibes find you.

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Being More Human (10-7-26)

This is a one-off entry inspired by a dinner conversation I had with folks about the idea of being more human.

I attended an insights conference this week.  Last night, during dinner I was mingling with some other like-minded insights professionals.  Eventually the conversation turned to what we would write a book about.  One of the individuals said they would write a book about being more human.

The group began to dissect the various layers of this idea.  We talked about a world obsessed with technology, AI, and automation and how easy it is to forget the human in the loop.  We talked about how the world is changing and moving faster than ever before, and how humans weren’t designed to keep up with this.  We also talked about the evolution of work and the pressures to keep emotions and individuality in check to fit a broader culture.  It’s an idea worth exploring.

Let’s connect some dots.  I don’t know what your experience is.  I’ll say that work is hard right now.  There is uncertainty, change, looming deadlines, and so much pressure.  I don’t know about you, but I think we could all benefit from being more human.  In a world obsessed with tech, we can remember that we are humans and not machines.  In a world that pressures us to not have or show emotions, we can be more human and allow ourselves to feel the spectrum of emotions as we deal with all of this.  We can give ourselves permission to feel sadness, anger, hope, and more without feeling a need to apologize for having emotions.  In a world so focused on speed, we can be more human and be brave enough to try to connect with someone in a moment of vulnerability, even if it’s just to let them know you’re there for them.  In a world of tough decisions, we can be the type of leaders who connect as humans through the pain and difficulty.

The challenge: What will you do to be more human today?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Performance Under Pressure (9-30-26)

We will continue this series on reflections from our internal insights summit. Last week was about using high expectations as an invitation to strive for greatness.  This week is about performance under pressure.

Our guest speaker for this segment was Dr. James Hewitt, a former racing cyclist turned PhD performance scientist.  His talk was about performing under pressure without burning out.  He argued that pressure is always going to be there, and performance is trainable.  From there, he discussed how success isn’t just luck, but it’s inevitable for the teams who train to handle this pressure. He then talked through his 3 part framework for preparing to deal with pressure. 

  1. Capacity– Building the foundation for performing under pressure
  2. Control– Reframing stress as an opportunity to grow
  3. Coordination– Synchronizing your team to transform pressure into performance

The one that stuck out to me the most is capacity, because this is the one we know the most about.  We all know logically that we need to ensure we are taking care of our physical, cognitive, and emotional health.  We know we should exercise, take breaks, not be so hard on ourselves, etc.  However, there is a difference between knowing and doing, and the difference between knowing and doing is having negative impact across the board.

How does this connect with work?  It’s pretty safe to say that there is more pressure and more constant pressure than ever before.  In many ways, it feels harder and harder to keep up and deal with everything.  What if a large portion of this is because we haven’t built the foundational capacity to even begin to handle this pressure?  Without the solid ground, we are already compromised and less able to deal with pressure from the beginning.

When I reflect on capacity this way, it changes the way I think about physical, cognitive, and emotional health.  A lack of sleep isn’t just something that makes me a little less tired during the day.  Being mentally drained, isn’t just something I can shake off.  Being emotionally dysregulated isn’t just something I can easily overcome.  These aren’t minor inconveniences.  They are barriers to me performing as an employee and more importantly as a human.

The challenge- How will you build up your capacity to perform under pressure?

Bonus thought 1: The other shift I’ve made for these things is rather than spending an exuberant effort in trying to optimize everything, I’m asking what are the minimum effective doses I need.  Maybe for my physical health it’s a solid lifting session 3 days per week.  For my mental health, maybe it’s a commitment to stop scrolling and only read books after 9:30pm.  It doesn’t have to be a lot. Small steps matter.

Bonus thought 2: Here’s a link to his book if you want a quick read filled with some helpful nudges, frameworks, and other things to think about Amazon.com: Regenerative Performance: How to Thrive in an Always-On World Without Sacrificing Your Well-Being (Audible Audio Edition): James Hewitt, Dr. James Hewitt, Amplify Publishing: Books

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

High Expectations as an Invitation (9-23-26)

Last week was about the magic of vulnerability.  This week is about using high expectations as an invitation to strive for something greater.

Tori Brown is a Sr VP in CMH, and is another leader who spoke during our insights conference.  Her fireside chat was moderated by Becky Sturman, CMH Market Research Leader.  From the moment the conversation started, Tori was dropping knowledge like class was in session.  She talked about how insights are critical to driving the business forward.  The best insights professionals are consistent, factual, and trustworthy.  She shouted out researchers for challenging her and keeping her honest.  She kept it real and said that innovation is “over used and under done.”  She continually reiterated that the insights function is the keeper of truth for our customers.  I was in the audience snapping like a poetry slam. 

My favorite comments came when Tori was talking about speed and the pressure to move faster than ever.  She explained that no one is ever going to be able to do things at the speed of business and that’s okay.  Our goal should be to strive to get better and move faster because our patients deserve that from us.  This was my favorite comment, because it created a subtle shift.  Instead of moving faster being a stick to punish with, moving faster became a noble goal to strive toward because people are counting on us.  I’ve since had people comment that they could almost feel the weight of this be lifted off their shoulders.  I know I felt that way.  I was pumped and ready to suit up in armor to go slay dragons.

Let’s connect some dots.  Have you ever felt beat down because of the world’s desire to move faster?  I know I have. I’ve felt this like a measuring stick that was there to always tell me I was failing.  Tori’s reframe gave me permission to be human AND the encouragement to strive for something better for myself and for the people counting on me.  On top of reframing speed for me, Tori’s comments challenged me to reflect as a leader.  As leaders, we have to be able to hold high standards.  At the same time, we need to hold and express those standards in a way that invites people to ascend and not in a way that beats them down.  This is the difficult thin line we must walk.

The challenge- How will you turn high expectations into an invitation to strive for something greater?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

The Magic of Vulnerability (9-16-26)

Last week we kicked off a series focused on things that inspired me during our insights summit.  We focused on learning how to solve problems like a magician.  This week, we will look at the magic of vulnerability. (See how smooth that transition was 😉)

Prentice Stovall is a Sr VP in Immunology, and one of the leaders who spoke during our conference.  He had a fireside chat moderated by Bob Draper, Immunology Market Research leader.  During the chat, Prentice shared all kinds of nuggets that filled my cup as an insights professional.  He talked about how our insights organization has the ability to influence all of Lilly.  He discussed the importance of integrated insights across data and teams, so we don’t send the business in the wrong direction.  He shared how our judgment and ability to tell stories with data are critical to the success of the organization.  I was definitely feeling the love.

He was also vulnerable in a way that made those points resonate more.  Prentice talked about how his time working in market research has shaped a lot of how he operates.  The questions he asks, the way he thinks about data, all of this was shaped by his time in research.  He took this further and shared a story of being early in his career and he received feedback along the lines of, “Prentice, you seem to find a way to make data even more complex.”  He talked about how he had to work on this skill and how he approaches things now.  When he admitted this out loud, the entire audience chuckled, because we all had been there and made the exact same mistake.  We also smiled, because this tale of his showcased how this storytelling skill he values so much, isn’t always easy.  Having a CMO share a moment like this wasn’t on my bingo card for the day, but it made everything else he said that much more powerful and that much more human.

Let’s connect some dots.  When was the last time you saw a leader be vulnerable and human about something?  What impact did that have on you?  When was the last time YOU were vulnerable and human about something?  What impact did that have on you and the people you work with?

In a world of AI and emerging technologies, I believe we are all looking for something or someone a little more human.  We are looking for the connection.  We are looking for the person who can talk about a failure with a smile, because we’ve all been there.  We don’t have to look for these people.  We can BE these people.  Whether you’re a leader on stage or with colleagues, you have the chance to show something real.

The challenge: How will you model vulnerability and authenticity?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Problem Solving like a Magician (9-8-26)

We are going to kick off a series of things that inspired me during our internal Strategic Insights Summit.  We will start with what David Corsaro taught us about learning how to solve problems like a magician.

David gets on stage and starts by sharing his passion for magic and for gathering insights.  He shares how he has been doing magic for years, been on Penn and Teller, and performed for countless people.  After some initial framing, it’s time for the first trick.  He has us all follow along and asks us to copy his movements with our hands.  The audience is locked in.  We are doing everything he says.  Then, he does the next movement, and no one in the audience can do it.  We are flabbergasted, watching him do something we physically can’t do.

He then begins to break down the trick.  He has us go step by step to see what happened.  I don’t want to give away his secrets.  However, I will share the takeaway he left us with.  That takeaway is to be careful of your assumptions, and to ensure you question everything.  The entire audience had made one simple assumption, and that is what had doomed us to fail.

Let’s connect this to work.  Have you ever been in a situation where something didn’t go well, and you later realized it’s because you made an incorrect assumption?  I have.  It’s so easy to do this, especially when life is moving so quickly.  It’s also easy, because we are programmed to fall into a routine.  Think about it.  How many times have you heard, “Well, that’s just how we do it,” as if it were a law written in stone?

The world is moving and changing faster than ever before.  If we are going to build something for a new kind of future, we need to be constantly challenging ourselves and the status quo.  This all starts with recognizing and challenging the assumptions we make.

The challenge- What assumptions will you challenge today?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry