Is there a Special Place in Hell for Timeshare Salesmen?

From Cabo San Lucas:

We were help captive for 30 minutes today so a Dollar Rental Car employee/partner could pitch a timeshare for us while our care was 'readied'.
Felt like I was the one being readied - not unlike a turkey is readied for Thanksgiving dinner.

We walked away... my time is worth more than their money... but, boy, do I hate that!

Number eleven of the huesvalues is "Offerings, Not Products".
This value originally was titled, "Selling Sucks", which sits a lot closer to my true feelings - but is patently unfair and demeaning to the many people who sell with integrity and personal authenticity.
I was talked off the ledge regarding this value by a couple of fine (smart) colleagues.

Still, there's a part of me that wanted to be more blunt. I'm an active, smart consumer.
Give me the information I need, a web address, and a phone number.
If you're product is any good, you'll hear from me.

If not, well, you're not going to hear from me no matter how hard you try.

Using the Parking Lot as a Facilitation Tool

Some things seem too obvious to discuss... but they're not...

I've been working on a training class for facilitation.

One common tool of facilitation is the 'parking lot'.
I took it out of the class, because I thought it was too obvious.

Recently, however, I found that many experienced facilitators have never heard of a parking lot.
Now it's back in my class.

A parking lot is a place where the group can track ideas or questions that are currently off-topic.
It's usually written on a flip chart, a corner of a white board, or a piece of paper.

It's a good idea to set this up at the beginning of a session with a few words, "I don't want to let us get off topic. At the the same time, I want to capture any great ideas we have. So, let's talk freely. If I think something is off-topic, however, or better handled later, I'll put it in the parking lot. Okay?"

This accomplishes a number of objectives.

1. it keeps us on topic
2. it helps us capture great ideas
3. it helps the facilitator look competent

So, next time you have a meeting or workshop, try using a parking lot!

Is Your Offering Kawaii?

Kawaii art by Yumiko Kayukawa

Anyone who desires to 'understand' Japan will eventually have to deal with the concept of 'kawaii' - a concept so profound that it has a wikipedia entry that is annotated with references from Wired, Business Week, TimeAsia and The New Yorker.

What deep Japanese value has the elite press so abuzz?
The concept of 'cute'.

You may have already known, without being told, that cute is big in Japan.
If that doesn't quite jib with the stomach-slicing vision of corporate samurai that you're used to, well, maybe you don't watch enough anime (where cuteness and violence walked hand-in-hand way before Angelina Jolie climbed into Lara Crofts shorts)...

Hello Kitty, Pokemon, Aya Ueto, and Kimu-taku are merely the tip of the (probably pink and fuzzy) cuteness iceberg that is Japanese pop culture...

I have a phrase I'm fond of repeating regarding J-pop culture -
"If it ain't cute, give it the boot!"

I could try to explain what it is, why it's important (to the Japanese anyway), what conclusions we should draw, etc.... but I'm neither inclined nor equipped to.

I just say - recognize it, enjoy it, and use it.
So, in that vein, I will point you in the direction of 2 sunny sources (I almost wrote 'nuclear power plants' but that wouldn't be cute, would it?) of 'kawaii'.

1. "Kamikaze Girls" - this film, easily available on dvd in the US, is laugh-out-loud funny, with brilliant direction and excellent characters. Kyoko Fukada is perfect as the 'kawaii' half of this odd-couple duo, with Anna Tsuchiya capably handling the 'tough' girl (she won a bunch of 'best newcomer' awards for her performance and, by-the-way, her cd outrocks Avril Lavigne by quite a bit).
   This film is your 'kawaii' litmus test. If you find this film unbearably cute... oh, well...
   It says a lot that this film has a 7.5/10 rating on the Internet Movie Database. If you have a taste for quirky films, don't miss it...
2. Yumiko Kayukawa is the creator of the 'kawaii' image at the top of this entry. Reminding me of the late, great Patrick Nagel, I'm a sucker for this kind of stuff (just like I'm a sucker for coca-cola, coconut ice-cream - well, coconut anything, jelly-filled donuts, and other sweet-stuff). Plenty more of these images on her website...

If you think 'kawaii' is too girly for you or your product, try this list of names on:

• the iPod - kawaii electronics
• the Mini and the PT Cruiser - kawaii cars
• Gwen Stefani - kawaii tough girl
• Johnny Depp - kawaii indepedent actor
• Bugs Bunny and Stitch - animated kawaii wise guys
• most pocket digital cameras - kawaii and practical
• Daniel Pink and Patrick Lencioni's - kawaii manga business books

Cute didn't hurt any of those products...

In fact, MangaGlenn gives them a big thumbs up!

I created this 'mangatar' or 'manga avatar' at FaceYourManga.com.

Take a look around you. Measure the 'cuteness' of products you see and evaluate yours.

And once again, I'll ask: Is your offering kawaii enough?

Book Review: "Emotional Design" by Donald A. Norman

I found Donald A. Norman's Emotional Design in a used bookstore a few months back, and read it on a plane. In the book, Norman explores 'why we love (or hate) everyday things'.

Here is the first chapter of the book.

Title: "Emotional Design"
Author: Donald A. Norman

Genre(s): Design, Business
Summary: to quote the books subtitle: "Why we love (or hate) everyday things"

Favorite Concept:

Norman argues that our feelings about design work on three levels

1. Visceral - the appearance of the design
2. Behavioral - the pleasure and effectiveness of use
3. Reflective - the self-image, memories, and personal satisfaction related to the design.

Testing these against the design of my favorite 'everyday object' - my 2005 PT Cruiser - I find the following:

1. Visceral - Yes, I enjoy the look of my car. I like the color, the roundness of line, and the 'friendly, but sporty' theme that's reinforced by the roll bar.
2. Behavioral - Yes. It's a really comfortable car to sit in. The doors have a satisfying weight to them. The 2.4 liter turbo jumps when I need it to. The convertible top is very easy to use.
3. Reflective - Well, I think of myself as a 'top-down' guy. My last three vehicles have been low-maintenance convertibles (Samurai, Sidekick, and now PT Cruiser). My hair lends itself to the wind-blown look. I love the feeling of the sun beating on me on the way home. This car definitely reinforces my self-image.

Strengths: Reading this book has made me consider - how can I design learning experiences that work at all three levels? It seems that we focus 70% of our effort on the Behavioral aspect, 20% on the visceral, and only 10% on the reflective.
Weaknesses: While I found myself nodding in agreement with the book, there were no 'a-ha' moments for me.

Conclusion: It's a solid book that will challenge me to consider the reflective impact of my offerings.

Post-it Flags: 9 flags
* Each time I find an interesting quote, model, image, or idea in a book, I mark it with a Post-it flag. The more flags, the more value I found in the book.

Mindmapping huesworks

click image to enlarge

Here's a mindmap of huesworks. I created it at bubble.us.
It's a cool, easy site to use.

Row one lists five areas of focus.
I spend most of my days exploring and working in these areas.
This blog will focus on these areas as well.

• MLT - Management, Leadership & Teams
• LT - Learning and Training
• CIT - Creativity, Innovation & Thinking
• DC - DesignComm or Design in Communication
• GC - Global Culture

Row two lists resources and activities that I leverage in my exploration of these areas.
A number of them, like books, occur in all areas.

Finally, row three lists my offerings or outputs in these areas.
You'll find more information about these from the offerings tab at the top of this blog.

offerings@huesworks

Glenn delivers the learning profession's most highly regarded programs - such as Situational Leadership II®, The Leadership Challenge® Workshop, and Six Thinking Hats® - around the world.

The offerings in Glenn's toolbox can be mixed and combined to create comprehensive programs.

SMART as Hell!™

SMART as Hell™ teaches individuals how to take control of their own success in work and life. Anyone who writes goals or is asked to meet goals needs this workshop.

Sessions include:

• A step-by-step process for writing goals that are SMART as Hell!™
• The SMARTometer - the worlds first tool to measure how SMART a goal is.
• Case studies from a variety of organizations including businesses, the military, the public sector, and even the Obama campaign.

CultureCoach™

Today, business challenges are often synonomous with cultural challenges.

• Worried about your first business trip to Asia?
• Getting ready to live overeseas?
• Having problems with business cross-culturally?
• Need assistance getting the most out of your global team?

These are just a few of the scenarios that Glenn coaches his clients through. Whether it's a single session to prepare for a meeting tomorrow, or extended coaching for working cross-culturally - Glenn will help you get results.

CultureCoach™ is also available as a workshop for cross-cultural teams.

Glenn is a graduate of Coach U and a member of the International Association of Coaching.



DiSC Profiling

Ever wonder why your boss, your employees, your peers, or your customers behave the way they do? Ever wonder what you can do to help them accomplish their goals?

DiSC is a model that shows you how to understand normal human behavior - for yourself and others.

With this tool, Glenn helps you build work relationships, customer satisfaction, and stronger team dynamics.



Edward de Bono's The Six Thinking Hats®

Productive group thinking is a rare thing. Conflict or debate are more common, and rarely produce optimal results.

Glenn is a certified instructor of Edward de Bono's Six Thinking Hats® - a simple, effective parallel thinking process that helps people be more productive, focused, and mindfully involved. Six Thinking Hats® yields stronger ideas in less time.



Global Presentation Skills

Some people will tell you that there are no shorcuts in life.
They're wrong.
Poor presentation skills will destroy the best plans, and strong presentation skills will give you an advantage over your peers.

If you want to create change, you'll need to communicate that change and communicate it globally.

This workshop - built around the premise that people want 'conversations, not presentations' - will provide you with the tools to communicate your message in a format that will be successful around the world.



High Performance Teams

Have you ever enjoyed the 'buzz' of being on a great team?
Glenn relishes the challenge of facilitating a team to the next level, and utilizes his wide range of experiences in team environments.

• Sports - coaching baseball, playing football, hockey and volleyball
• Water Expeditions - In Baja Mexico and Utah's Green River
• The Asia workplace - Which has a special perspective on what 'team' means
• Corporate Management - building and coaching teams

In customized High Performance Teams sessions, Glenn guides teams through a discovery and identification process and then facilitates the team to create an actionable roadmap for championship performance.

Innovation Workshop

Looking for a spark?
Creativity is not magic. It is a game with clear rules. Unfortunately, most organizations don't know those rules. Even when they do, they're unlikely to follow them.

Glenn often is called on to create an environment where even the most 'uncreative' team can produce new, business-ready ideas.

As someone who has designed dozens of released offerings and must be ready to improvise in any setting, Glenn is uniquely suited to help teams produce innovative results. Glenn also exercises his creativity through music and photography - some of which appears on this site.



Managing & Leading Globally

There are only two types of management skills - navigational skills and survival skills.

When you don't have navigational skills, you need to develop survival skills. When you have great navigational skills, you may not have developed survival skills for when they're needed. To be a flexible leader, you must first have both of these skills

Glenn works with individuals to develop the navigation and survival skills necessary to be a great manager. Then, Glenn guides them through the self-reflection necessary to be a great leader.



The Leadership Challenge® Workshop

Approaching leadership as a measurable, learnable, and teachable set of behaviors, this proven leadership model proclaims Leadership Is Everyone’s Business.

The workshop, combined with the Leadership Practices Inventory - a validated 360-degree tool - provides the framework to become a better leader.

Glenn is a Level I Facilitator of The Leadership Challenge® Workshop.



Maximizing Customer Relationships

How strong is the link between you and your customers?

Maximizing Customer Relationships shows that 'caring' is not a soft skill - but rather a tangible component of the service experience. In the workshop attendees see how 'care' can be measured and delivered to customers - providing greater returns for everyone.



Problem Solving the 7-Step Way

Problem solving is the most fundamental of business skills, but many of us are poor at it. A review of most problem solving efforts will show that they take more time, money, effort, and rework than was necessary.

Root cause analysis is the most effective method for permanently solving problems.

Glenn leads teams and individuals through a 1-day workshop, with a case study, to learn the 7-step methodology. He also provides coaching and facilitation to assist in reinforcing the skills.



Situational Leadership II® Workshop

Ken Blanchard Companies' Situational Leadership II® is the most comprehensive method of managing and developing people in the world.

Glenn is a certified instructor for this 2-day session.

More importantly, he is a passionate user of the model - with his clients,
students, employees, and himself.

Glenn can be reached at glenn_hughes@hotmail.com.