A few more notes from Sonoma...

Here's a group that you'd like to spend more time with... in a place you should spend time in.

I have to say this... Sonoma is very cool. I'd never been there until a month ago.
It's got great restaurants, great wine (obviously), a beautiful town square, and nice people.

In this picture, our Leadership Challenge group and our hosts from Sonoma Learning Systems are combining all of the above (except the restaurant, which came later).

If you can make it to Sonoma , make sure to be there for the Tuesday night farmer's market.

In addition to live music, a great 'local' vibe, and some of the best flavored honey I've ever tasted (we bought two bottles of cinnamon honey and one of raspberry honey... yummm), Sonoma may be home to the world's best corn dog.

Here's Angie, modeling the Sonoma Spicy Cajun Corndog.
It's big. It's spicy. It's juicy.
It's got an awesome coating - not greasy or oily.

Everyone told me it would be incredible.
I didn't believe them... but they were right.

If you like corn or dogs or any combination of the two, go to Sonoma and get one...

From Sonoma: PREP

I finished the Leadership Challenge Workshop Advanced Facilitator Training today. It was a great experience.

Sharing energy and ideas in a room full of professional facilitators is a remarkable thing. As a group, everyone was open, curious, and authentic. 

How often can you say that about a room of 20 or so human beings? Seriously... two days of laughs, debates, hugs, bawdy language, and - oh by the way - deep learning.

Two of the participants in this session were instructors in my previous session. How is that for modeling humility and curiosity?
Kudos to Sonoma Learning Systems for the great event.

I've worked with KT for 20 years, so I haven't seen much of the outside corporate world. Sometimes, I'm surprised what I learn when I step out.
Today was a case in point. We had an 'under the gun' Q&A test as part of the event.
A facilitator stands up, and the master facilitator asks a mystery question. The facilitator gets 5 minutes to answer.

In our corporate learning group, we use a tool called 'PREP' to answer impromptu questions. I used it today and it went well, so I shared it.

PREP simply stands for

P - My Position is...
R - The Reason is...
E - Let me give you an example...
P - So, in closing, my Position is...

The first and last lines leverage two concepts.
1) clarity - tell them exactly what your position is. Don't make them search for it
2) primacy/recency - people remember the first and last things you say, so make them the same thing

Next, give a broad theoretical reason. Don't bog down in details. Give a framework that the brain can hold on to.
Then, deliver an example that fits your framework. The brain is so ready for your example now, that it goes down like lemonade on a hot summer day.
By the time you return to your position, you've got them hooked. PREP is literally, cognitive candy. It gives the brain what it wants.

Here's a live example to the question "What's the best tool I've ever learned?"

My position is that PREP is the best tool I've ever learned.
The reason I say that is because it's good for the user, good for the audience, and can be used in many settings.
Let me give you examples. PREP is good for the user because it provides a framework for answering. With a framework in place, the user can focus on content.
PREP is also good for the audience, as it provides signpost phrases that 'remove the heavy lifting' for the audience.
Finally, PREP can be used in many settings, like speeches, casual conversation, meetings, and written responses.
Again, my position is that PREP is the best tool I've ever learned.

Try it and let me know how it works.

Advanced Leadership Challenge

We're in Sonoma, California this week.
It's a Leadership Challenge Workshop filled with advanced facilitators.
It's a very tough crowd, and that's a good thing. We learn a lot from each other.

As I've challenged myself to write a haiku everyday this week, here's todays.

facilitators

teaching each other content

leadership challenge

Creativity, Magnetic Haiku, Water

I probably shouldn't tell you this, but I will. 

Yesterday, Angie and I drove over to the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa for lunch - they have great fish tacos - and then I, ummm, borrowed the swimming pool as well.

It was 90+ degrees and sunny, a perfect day to sit in the sun, read, and write poetry...

No, I don't typically write poetry, but I'm always looking for different ways to exercise creativity.
Last week, at Bookbuyers (one of my favorite used bookstores) in Mountain view, I bought the used Magnetic Poetry kit that Angie is modeling above. 

It's cool...

I don't know much about poetry (unless it rhymes with Nantucket), but I do like Japanese haiku.
My favorite thing about haiku is that it only uses 17 syllables (three lines 5-7-5).
So, we spent much of the afternoon trading haiku.

This is my favorite of the day...

And yes, it did win me 'brownie points' with Angie.

This morning, I woke up and wrote another haiku - this one inspired by the El Dorado Hotel, which we're enjoying very much, by the way (great restaurant and a balcony overlooking the square, which does have it's downsides).

white light through shutters
morning engines wake me up
edh hotel

Oh yeah... that's why I hate discussion forums...

In my online class, everyone (except me) is involved with public education, so the discussions tend in that area.

Today, I replied to a post by pointing that out.
I (nicely, I thought) suggested that we might be focusing too much on the public sector. There's a lot of adult learning going on that isn't about schools and universities.
One person replied, "Good point".

The poster that I originally responded to, however, took offense, responding with the dreaded, "If you actually read my post.... blah, blah, blah...".
No, the poster didn't counter my point at all, and didn't need to. I wasn't arguing. I was merely suggesting that there's a bigger world out there.

I haven't seen this type of knee-jerk response outside of fanboy discussions on aintitcool or sonsofsamhorn. 

But, I guess we haven't had forums and email long enough to be good at them yet. I'm not sure there is such a thing as 'long enough' however.

Typed asynchronous responses will never substitute for face-to-face conversations.

Can we agree though, to retire the "If you actually read my email/post/proposal/presentation..." crap? Let's agree that we're adults, and that just because we have a different opinion, it doesn't mean we didn't read yours?

You'd think that, in a room full of educators, Unconditional Positive Regard would be a given.
That might be assuming too much, though...

Back to Sonoma

We're in Sonoma for the weekend, for a follow-up to Leadership Challenge.
I'll spend two days in teachbacks, and get the chance to see how others present the material.
I learn a lot every time I watch someone else facilitate, so this should be great (and the wine isn't a bad thing either)...

How Much Strategy?

I'm working with a group of directors who are responsible for an area that is tactically focused.
We've been gathering to determine a long-term vision for the team, and they are feeling some frustration during the process.
Now, most vision exercises are frustrating - if not, then you're probably not challenging yourself enough - but this one seems more painful than usual.

Every time we start to break through to a strategic discussion, it seems we can't stay there for more than 15 minutes before one of the members is compelled to dive back into a specific tactical point.
Last week, we discussed the fact that thinking strategically is like a muscle, if you don't use it, it atrophies. One member then suggested working on this for the next 6-9 weeks and you could see rolled eyes and hear some groans.

This prompted a question from me - how many hours a week should a director spend on strategic thinking? 2 hours a week would mark less than 5% of their time (I don't know any Director level employee who puts in less than 40 hours/week - certainly not these guys).

So, is 5% too much? Not enough?

How much time should a director spend?
A manager?
A VP?
A GM?
Who owns strategic thinking? And why is it so hard for most people?

Tell me what you think...

1 down... 13 to go...

I finished the first course in my Masters program tonight.

And I enjoyed it!

If that's not reason for the happy dance. I don't know what is!

Trust Me, I'm a Professional...

With fellow graduates of Ken Blanchard's
Situational Leadership II Training for Trainers

There's been an interesting discussion in my online class - What industries and occupations have standards? And why?

Everyone jumped to name the industries that have standards, and soon we were running out.
I asked the question, what industry doesn't have standards?
Well, as it turns out, mine doesn't... oops.

The corporate learning industry has very few standards. 

You don't need to pass anything (a test, class, or medieval gauntlet) to call yourself a facilitator, coach, or trainer. You just put it on your business card and start doing it... Pretty strange, huh?

I googled "licensed occupations" and found this website... It's awesome.
It lists what occupations require licenses in what states.
Here's some of what I learned:

1) In Tennessee, you need a license to shampoo hair. Check this out.

SHAMPOO TECHNICIAN: A person who brushes, combs, shampoos, rinses and conditions upon the hair and scalp.
REQUIREMENTS: Be at least 16 years of age and meet the education and examination requirements.
EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS: Satisfactory completion of a course of instruction of not less than 300 hours in the practice and theory of shampooing at a school of cosmetology.
EXAMINATION REQUIREMENTS: A written and practical examination is required.

I'm not making this up. More than 7 weeks of study to brush, comb, shampoo, rise and condition. How many jokes are in that?

2) Tennessee and Nevada require telemarketers to have licenses. That must be why all those jobs are going to India.

3) Five states require a license to be a Travel Agent.

4) Only Three states (Arkansas, Kansas, and Maine) require a license to be a tattoo artist...
Can this actually be true? It means that in Tennessee, I can tattoo your head, but I can't comb it or wash it.

5) My favorite is that almost every state (looks like 45/50) requires a license to be a barber. Seriously, a barber.
You can tattoo someone, but you can't cut their hair.
You can bear children without a license, but you can't cut some one's hair.

What is the history behind this?
What hair crisis struck our great country that necessitated barbers to be licensed.

Only ONE state (Georgia) requires cooks to be licensed, but almost every state thinks barbers need to be tracked and registered.

And anyone can call themselves a life coach, financial coach, business coach, ADD coach, relationship coach, real estate coach, or even a coaching coach - with no permit or license.

Sometimes, the more you learn, the less you know...

Thinking about Blogging: The Way of the Blog

"I have never had a teacher while studying the Ways of the various arts and accomplishments, or in anything at all" - Miyamoto Musashi

I don't take this to mean that Miyamoto learned from no one - rather that he reflected on what he learned and made it his own.
This is a man who also wrote "know the advantages and disadvantages of everything", "develop a discerning eye in all matters", and "understand what cannot be seen by the eye".

For example, writing this blog forces me to take the thoughts, concepts, and ideas that I've gathered and make them somewhat my own. Blogs are less cool than sword-fighting, but hey, I'm no samurai...

I was thinking about this today, because I learned a new term in class this week - "Teaching Portfolio".
It seems that teachers have taken a page out of the artists book and started collecting their work in a portfolio to present.

The thought is that a collection of artifacts (course outlines, photos of the classroom, student work, feedback, video, self-reflection essays) from the school year tells a more complete story than words or test results.
Makes perfect sense, huh?

I was wondering - How is a portfolio any different from a blog?
On this blog I'm including photos, reflection, outlines, and theory.
Maybe it's not different...

The interesting thing about having a blog (or portfolio) is the underlying assumption that there's something worth writing each day.

One difference between a blog and a journal is the act of 'publicing'. Because I've committed to this blog publicly, I have to find new learnings each day (never mind that no one's reading - that's our secret).

So it becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy.
If nothing jumps to mind, then I reflect on the day until I figure out what I learned. It's likely that I would have overlooked that thing if I hadn't pushed myself to write.

Additionally, my sensors are constantly looking for something to 'learn' so I can write about it.
I become more curious by necessity (the proverbial mother of invention).

As Miyamoto said, "Never depart from the Way".

Thinking about Blogging: The Way of the Blog

"I have never had a teacher while studying the Ways of the various arts and accomplishments, or in anything at all" - Miyamoto Musashi

I don't take this to mean that Miyamoto learned from no one - rather that he reflected on what he learned and made it his own.
This is a man who also wrote "know the advantages and disadvantages of everything", "develop a discerning eye in all matters", and "understand what cannot be seen by the eye".

For example, writing this blog forces me to take the thoughts, concepts, and ideas that I've gathered and make them somewhat my own. Blogs are less cool than sword-fighting, but hey, I'm no samurai...

I was thinking about this today, because I learned a new term in class this week - "Teaching Portfolio".
It seems that teachers have taken a page out of the artists book and started collecting their work in a portfolio to present.

The thought is that a collection of artifacts (course outlines, photos of the classroom, student work, feedback, video, self-reflection essays) from the school year tells a more complete story than words or test results.
Makes perfect sense, huh?

I was wondering - How is a portfolio any different from a blog?
On this blog I'm including photos, reflection, outlines, and theory.
Maybe it's not different...

The interesting thing about having a blog (or portfolio) is the underlying assumption that there's something worth writing each day.

One difference between a blog and a journal is the act of 'publicing'. Because I've committed to this blog publicly, I have to find new learnings each day (never mind that no one's reading - that's our secret).

So it becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy.
If nothing jumps to mind, then I reflect on the day until I figure out what I learned. It's likely that I would have overlooked that thing if I hadn't pushed myself to write.

Additionally, my sensors are constantly looking for something to 'learn' so I can write about it.
I become more curious by necessity (the proverbial mother of invention).

As Miyamoto said, "Never depart from the Way".

A Good Beginning Makes a Good Ending

A Yin/Yang Door at the Tombs of Gyeongju, South Korea

"A good beginning makes a good ending" is a traditional Japanese Proverb.

I'm reminded of this saying today as I work with my learning team at University of Phoenix. Our team is writing a paper and presentation this week. We had to agree on a thesis statement for the paper, which will also drive the presentation.

As we kicked ideas around (virtually - this is an online program), we all got a little impatient, I think. It took us two days of posting in the forum, and that's two days that we could have been writing.
At the same time, we all knew that we weren't happy yet.
Tonight, we aligned around our thesis. I now know exactly what I need to do on my part of the paper. In retrospect, it's obvious that it was worth the wait. It would have been a disaster to start any earlier.
Yet, it was very tempting to just dig in.

Despite my 10 years in Asia, the swoosh gene ('just do it') dominates me.
At least I'm aware enough now to not let impulse win.

As another Asian proverb says, "When in a hurry, take the roundabout route".

What Are You Working On?

I was helping a team that had 'prioritization' problems, so we did this exercise.

I asked the team to write down (on Post-it Notes) the tasks that they do in a typical week.

We made four columns - Mission Related, Strategic Objective Related, Personal Objective Related, and Other - and two rows - Proactive and Reactive.

I then asked them to place the tasks in the appropriate box. What did we discover?

1. The team agreed that they didn't really know what the mission was. Hard to prioritize if you don't know that...
2. A lot of 'other' activities are being done. Are they mission related? Who knows?
3. More than 40% of the work was reactive (non-scheduled). The team agreed that this was too high.

Action items the team agreed on:

• Write the mission.
• Regroup the tasks, if necessary, against the mission.
• Review the 'other' tasks. Distribute them to other groups? Stop doing them?
• Look at reorganizing the team, the roles, or the schedules to address the number of reactive/non-scheduled tasks.

Having time-management challenges on your team? This might be a good exercise...

Vision and Mission Statements II

My colleagues and I have worked on a number of mission statements in the past few weeks.
In an earlier post, I listed my 5 expectations for a mission statement.
Today, I'd like to add two introductory questions and a reflection question.

First the introductory questions:

1. What is the intention of this mission statement? Is it to serve as a rudder in times of doubt? Is it a recruiting tool? Is it a wish list? Is it to polish your reputation? Obviously, some of these intentions are better than others, but let's at least be honest. There's nothing worse than spending a few days on a mission statement when there is a hidden agenda.
2. Who is the audience? This ties to number one. Is it for customers? For candidates? For the senior leadership? For the front line? For all of the above?

In my mind, the best missions are intended to serve as a rudder, and are for all audiences.
But other intentions and audiences can be written for, and written effectively - as long as there is agreement.

My reflection question is this: Look at all the verbs in your vision and ask 'are these accurate descriptors of the people we want'?

An example: if the word 'help' is in your statement, are you hiring Helpers?
If the word 'deliver' is in your statement, are you hiring Deliverymen?
I've seen technology companies use both words, when the words don't accurately reflect their intentions. Be careful.... words are powerful.

If you want to hire designers, leaders, builders, creators, and energizers - then use those verbs in your statement.

Book Review: 101 Things I Learned in Architecture School

Perhaps the best book I've picked up this year, I recommend it for anyone who designs - and in case you didn't notice, we are all designers. Yeah, even you...

If you don't believe me, feel free to post and I'll happily change your mind for you :-)

Title: "101 Things I Learned in Architecture School"

Author: Matthew Frederick

Genre(s): Architecture, Design, Seeing, Thinking

Summary: Umm... read the title. It's a quick 202 pages long, with 2 pages dedicated to each of the lessons.

Favorite Quote: I'll give you three:

• #3 - "Figure-ground theory states that the space that results from placing figures should be considered as carefully as the figures themselves."
  It's what Dave Matthews calls "The Space Between". It's what the Japanese treasure in the silence between words. It's what graphic designers call 'white space'.
  The world would be a lot more beautiful if we all considered the stuff around our stuff.
  Do we give learners time to reflect on content? Do we leave room for note-taking? Do we give ourselves time and space to be centered?
• #18 - "Any design decision should be justified in at least two ways."
  In the book, Frederick uses the example of using a window to let in light and to frame a view. If your design element isn't doing at least two things, you probably aren't using it to full advantage.
  I wrote in yesterday's blog that I could use 'off-the-shelf' VisualSpeak images for my photo facilitation exercises, but I don't. Using my own images, I can integrate Asia-centric photos that resonate with my audience. It often brings up discussions about the photos, which builds rapport between me and my audience. Finally, I have the original digital images that I can use to document the event.
  My exercise design decision is justified in four ways.
• #67 - "A good graphic presentation meets the Ten-Foot Test."
  Any presentation should be legible from 10 feet. That means EVERY WORD AND NUMBER!!!
  I often use the 'drop test'. Print out your slides. Drop them on the floor. Can you read every word and number? No? Start over. Or make handouts - why is everyone so allergic to handouts?

Strengths: This book couldn't be any smarter or friendlier - in size, in feel, in structure, or in tone.
Weaknesses: None that I can think of...

Conclusion: In case I wasn't clear enough - buy this book!

Post-it Flags: 58 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.

Facilitating with Metaphoric Images

We've been experimenting with metaphoric images in our facilitation lately.

I first saw them used in 2006, when I was attending Coach U in Singapore. The facilitators there used them 3 or 4 times during the week.

I did some web research when I returned, finding two primary sources - VisualsSpeak and The Center for Creative Leadership's Visual Explorer.

After reading about the images, I decided to build a set with my own photos. It's not that hard. You just pick photos that are ambiguous - that can be taken positively or negatively.

We've been using them for team sessions. A typical facilitation exercise starts with, "pick an image that represents the state your team is in today". Then, we might ask them to pick an image that represents what they'd like the team to look like in the future.

What happens next is a little bit of magic. The images grab some part of our right brain, but then we must explain them using the logic and words of our left brain. The result is a bit like truth serum. Feelings are expressed before the mind can suppress them, often surprising the person speaking those words.

It's a great way to start or end a session.
You can let participants choose their images, or you can hand them a random one and have them force a connection.

We've been using them with a number of individuals and teams.
In every situation we've tried, they've moved the conversation forward.

I bought a couple sets from VisualsSpeak for my colleagues recently.
I also saw the Visual Explorer set at The Leadership Challenge Workshop.
Both sets work fine. You can't go wrong with either.
Still, I prefer to use my own set - heavily loaded with Asian images - for my facilitations.

Creativity Exercise II - Team Drawing

Rule #1 of creativity is 'reject nothing'.
The improvisational theater has another name for it:
'Yes... and..'

'Yes... and...' is very different from 'Yes... but...'
'Yes... and...' means building on whatever came before.
If you've ever watched "Whose Line is it Anyway", you've seen 'Yes... and...' in action. No one on the stage can reject an idea, no matter how bizarre.

Angie and I frequently do an exercise that tests our 'Yes...and...' skills.
For the exercise, we use a 3"x5" index card and a marker. One of us starts a drawing with one line or one feature. The other has to build on what what was drawn. We go back and forth until the energy dissipates.

We've done this on airplanes, and in bed (too much information, I'm sure), but most often in restaurants. It usually attracts attention. More than once, a waiter has asked us about it.

The drawing above, drawn while we were in India, was appropriately named "Catbataloupe" by Angie.

If you're looking for a way to develop your openness and flexibility - and have a little fun - give it a try!

Creating a Team Charter the University of Phoenix Way

Okay... this surprises the hell out of me.

I've been working with teams for the past three years.
I have tons of co-workers who have attended the University of Phoenix.
So, why have I never seen or heard of one of these Team Charters?

The Team Charter is the coolest thing I've seen in my first two weeks of class at UOP.
It makes perfect sense. The first thing you do in your learning team is fill this out and agree on it.
The team:

1. Lists all members and contacts
2. Lists a skills inventory with strengths and weaknesses (I care too much...)
3. Lists the learning team goals (I want an 'A'!!)
4. Lists possible barriers to success (the weakest link...)
5. Sets Ground rules

Seeing as you have 3-6 weeks to get this team functioning at a high-level, making a Team Charter is brilliant. So, why don't we do it for every team at work?

Why hasn't anyone who has attended UOP brought this into the work place?
Do students really leave behind everything they learn when they walk out the door?
How sad...

Anyway, I can't wait to put this into action at my next team building.
I'll let you know how it goes.
In the meantime, here's another team charter example.

Visual Thinking - What's Out of Play?

My colleagues and I were working on a team facilitation today. 

In order to frame the discussion, we asked what topics were open for debate, and which ones weren't.

I want to be clear that this wasn't censorship, or an attempt to avoid the 'elephant in the room'.

The 'out of play' topics are basically the 'No Whining' Zone, or the 'Dead Horse' zone - things that are constantly complained about, even though you know you can't change them.

As the group was generating the topics on Post-it Notes, I had the idea to represent the concept as a baseball field with 'fair balls' and 'foul balls'. It worked well, so Brent recreated it in a PowerPoint slide.

You could just as easily use a Football field (in bounds and out of bounds) with an international audience.

Learning Styles

I'm currently working on a Masters Degree in Adult Education and Training.
One of my homeworks assignments this week was to find a learning styles assessment and complete it.

After googling a bit, I found this one:
http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/learningstyles/ilsweb.html

I found it more interesting than the VARK (Visual, Aural, Read/write, and Kinesthetic) test I've taken before. It measures on four continuums - Active/Reflective, Sensing/Intuitive, Visual/Verbal, and Sequential/Global.

It turns out that I'm Active/Intuitive/Visual/Global (my results are in the photo above).
The results ring true for me, because my favorite way to learn is just to dive in.
I want to discuss or play with the learning content. Experiments, exercises, and prototypes are right up my alley.
I like innovation and hate repetition. I like to sketch ideas. I often grab a marker and jump up to the board. In fact - and I hate to admit this - it's very common for me to take the marker out of a teacher's hand and draw, to illustrate my idea. It's a habit I'm trying to break...

What's this all mean?
Well, it's a little concerning, since I'm in an online program. Online courses don't encourage a lot of active, visual learning. So, I'm going to need to develop my reflective, verbal side.

I guess that's a good thing. It will put me in the shoes of many of my clients.

Learn from my Mistakes... please...

Ooops...

I'm the kind of person who learns from mistakes. I don't read too many instruction manuals.
As a result, sometimes I end up like this...

Our room in Sonoma had a jacuzzi. It also had bath oil.
Jacuzzi + bath oil = relaxation, in my book.

According to the Jacuzzi FAQ, however:

"Be careful when using bubble bath, as the increased agitation of a whirlpool bath will generate many times more bubbles than a conventional bath."

Ummm... yeah... I can vouch for that.

What Centers You?

At the Leadership Challenge Workshop last week, Master Facilitator Ken Hurdle talked about the importance of being centered before starting a facilitation.

A facilitator who is not centered can only decenter the team he or she is working with.

Ken shared his three 'triggers' with us, and asserted the importance of finding our own.

I agree with Ken, and add that it's important for any person to find those things that center them - particularly in the workplace.

In general, I have three sources of equilibrium:

1. A Hot Shower -  No good day can start without one.
2. Music -  There's a lot of music that gets me in the zone, but Peter Gabriel and Japanese singer Cocco (pictured above) are the two I can always count on.
3. Driving my PT Cruiser - with the top-down in the sun (with music, of course)

Japanese Singer Cocco

For teaching or facilitating, however, there are three things that get me off to a great start

1. Wearing Black - no worries about dirt, stains, or markers.
2. World Music - A.R. Rahman, Anggun, or Faye Wong; world music puts me in an open, inclusive frame of mind.
3. A Bottle of Ice Cold Water - I need the water, and the bottle is a sort of totem for me.

Clad in Black

So... What centers you?