Release:
September 1, 2021

Women of NATE Today Newsletter
Volume 3, Issue 9

Have you tried to plan out your day ahead of schedule and block time on your calendar just to get through email or prep for the next meeting? Sometimes five minutes feels like all we can find between tasks – heck I have a hard time finding five minutes between back-to-back meetings as I’m sure most of you do too. Perhaps you are simply a procrastinator?

Do you stress about the enormous list of To-Do’s to try and fit it all into your day? Do you feel more like a ping pong ball when you look at that list when you really should be focused on one task at a time? Guess what ladies you are not alone. This five Minute productivity hack can help you beat procrastination, boost energy, and regain focus in a calm work under pressure kind of way. Time is something that COVID has somewhat hijacked especially for those working from home with “littles” trying to navigate homeschooling along with their full-time job for the very first time.  

How does the Emotional Intelligence (EI) aspect help you manage your negative thinking/stress and stay emotionally strong during those five minutes. EI = Social Skills, Self-Awareness, Self-Regulation, Empathy, and Motivation. Consider why employers value EI over IQ? Can you usually remain calm under pressure? Do you resolve conflict effectively? Are you empathetic to colleagues – and act as such under pressure? Do you walk the walk not just talk to talk and try to truly lead by example? Emotional Intelligence may even impact a company's profitability, so how you spend those five minutes matters to the bottom line – one study even found that 34% higher profit growth in firms with high EI Managers.

Consider trying this approach and make a deal with yourself to do at least five minutes (300 seconds) of a task at a time and see if it helps you alleviate stress and truly become more productive by forcing yourself to focus.

Practice by taking five minutes to register at www.natehome.com/women-of-nate/won-leadership-summit for the upcoming Women of NATE Leadership Summit to be held at the Gleacher Center in Chicago on Thursday, September 23.

WON Profile: Kari Carlson

Kari Carlson Learned Her Trade at the Foot of a Master Tower Builder

Previously appeared in Inside Towers at insidetowers.com.

Kari Carlson, President and CEO of Tower Systems, Inc. (TSI), may already have over 25 years of experience under her toolbelt, but her tower education goes back further than that. She remembers sorting bolts for her Dad when he would come back from being out on the road. William “Bill” Carlson started up Tower Systems, Inc. in 1975 and enjoyed spending time with his daughters while having them help him perform tasks around the warehouse and office. 

“It didn’t pay all that well,” she chuckled while telling the story to Inside Towers, “but it was time well spent with Dad and it taught me at a very early age the values of hard work.” 

After graduating from the University of Minnesota, Kari went to work at TSI and held roles in the Marketing and Estimating Departments. A couple years later, she was transferred to the Operations Department eventually becoming the Director of Operations. In 1999 she was named Chief Operating Officer of the Midwest Division where she managed several departments at their corporate headquarters.  She held that position until 2002 when a new challenge was presented to her. 

“In 2002 I packed my bags and moved to Florida to run our Southeast Division, Tower Systems South, Inc.,” Carlson said. “In that role, I managed all departments within the division and remained on the corporate Board of Directors. I returned to our corporate offices in South Dakota in 2014 as Vice President of the corporation and spent the following five years overseeing both divisions of our company and learning whatever I could from my mentor…our company founder and CEO, my Dad, Bill Carlson. We lost Dad on March 25, 2019, and though there is nothing he ever could have done to prepare me for that day, his guidance and mentoring during my 27 years of working with him prepared me for the position that I now hold within our company.” Carlson added, “My 9 years serving on the NATE Board in various capacities and 5 years serving on the Tower Family Foundation Board have also helped tremendously in shaping me as an executive.” 

Carlson notices a lot of positive changes when it comes to acceptance of women in the industry, but she feels that there is still a way to go.   

“As someone who grew up in this industry, I enjoy going to corporate events like NATE UNITE and looking around the room to see an ever-growing number of female colleagues in our workspace. We now see them holding positions as tower technicians, as administrators and as executives” said Carlson. “Though we’ve seen this increase in female representation, I still witness firsthand some situations where respect, ability and knowledge are brought into question just because of being a woman. I am hopeful that in the next five years we’ll see things transform further to create full equality across all fields of our industry”. 

When asked if there are opportunities for women, Carlson was abundantly clear in her answer. “Absolutely!” Carlson said with the observation that the industry continues to be a fast paced and growing one that is very focused on its workforce.   

“When I left Florida in 2014, I filled the position I vacated with the most skilled and experienced applicant, a woman. Several other key positions within my corporation are currently occupied by very talented women. When we look for candidates, we look for the most highly qualified person regardless of gender. Women have proven to be capable in all areas of our industry,” she said. “I look forward to seeing them in an expanded role as time goes on.” 

As Carlson’s conversation with Inside Towers came to a close, she looked at a photo of her and her Dad and smiled. “This industry is in my blood. I am so proud of all members of my team! It’s not for everybody but for those of us that choose to make it ours, it’s a special one that allows both men and women to climb high both up on a tower and in their careers,” Carlson said. “I am excited to see what the future of our industry brings. Based on where we’ve been and where we’re at, I think where we’re headed is going to be great!” 

Where will you find the Women of NATE?

Take Women of NATE with you!

Are you traveling for work or taking a leisure vacation? Take a creative photo holding a Women of NATE (WON) logo in front of a landmark that lets us know where you are. 

Leticia Latino of Neptuno USA, Corp. spent a summer day at the Greek Amphitheater in Siracusa, Sicily built in the 5th century BC. 

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Women of NATE in Action

Women of NATE Committee members meet in Denver, Colorado during the 2021 NATE Summer Conference.

MILLERCO was well-represented by Jimmy Miller, Amanda Stegall, Nicole Deas and Jordyn Ladner during the NATE Summer Conference.

NATE Controller/HR Manager Kari Stein visits in the booth with Andy Van Roekel of Tower Systems, Inc. at the ENTELEC Conference & Expo in Houston, Texas.

Emotionally Intelligent People Embrace the 5-Minute Rule  

Because most of the time, five minutes is all you need.  

There I sat, as usual, with a ton of things to do on my desk. Three major projects just staring me in the face. A committee meeting I needed to prepare for. Three articles I still had to write, deadlines quickly approaching.

So, why on earth was I watching Elon Musk's Saturday Night Live monologue on YouTube?

The answer is tied to the reason why many of us procrastinate (maybe even why you're reading this article right now). When faced with a difficult task--or many of them--we easily become overwhelmed. We seek solace in the form of more pleasant activities, those that distract us from that feeling of being overwhelmed.

The only problem is, the more solace we feel, the more we want to avoid doing the work.

The longer we avoid doing the work, the more anxious we get about the impending doom that awaits, should we not get all of our tasks done.

And, of course, the more anxious we get, the greater the chance that our tasks don't get done--making our situation a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy.

But I'm here to tell you there's a way to break this vicious cycle. It's a technique that's founded on the principles of emotional intelligence, the ability to identify, understand, and manage emotions effectively.

Best of all, it's far simpler than you might expect--as you can tell from its name:

The five-minute rule.

(If you enjoy the lessons in this article, be sure to sign up for my free emotional intelligence course, where I share 10 similar rules that will help you make emotions work for you, instead of against you.)

What's the five-minute rule? 

In the aforementioned situation, the brain is overwhelmed with the anticipation of trying to complete the task in front of you: How long it will take and how hard it will be.

But here's the thing: Huge, challenging tasks usually aren't completed in one sitting. Rather, they're best handled by chipping away at them, one small piece at a time.

Here's where the five-minute rule comes in.

It works like this: You force yourself to work on a task for just five minutes, with the understanding that you can quit after five minutes if you like.

With this new condition, the brain is "tricked" into now seeing your gargantuan task very differently.

It's as if the brain says to itself:

Oh wow. Five minutes is nothing. That's less time than the YouTube video we were about to watch. We can handle five minutes. 

Of course, more often than not, once you complete the first five minutes, you'll be so absorbed by the task, you'll keep going.

But even if not, the five-minute rule has already helped you to cross a major hurdle:

Getting started.

So, the next time you find your task list angrily staring back at you while you waste the morning away, remember this simple little emotionally intelligent trick.

Because most of the time, five minutes is all you need.

Article previously appeared on the Inc. website at https://www.inc.com/justin-bariso/emotionally-intelligent-people-embrace-5-minute-rule.html.

Inc. helps entrepreneurs change the world. Get the advice you need to start, grow, and lead your business today. Subscribe here for unlimited access.

The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com. 

Please send recipes with photos to Nikki Gronau at nikki@natehome.com.