Identifying Your Training Weaknesses

I'm a book geek. One of the few things I like better than a bookstore is a used bookstore.
Petaluma, California has a very good one called Copperfields, where Angie and I spent a couple hours yesterday.

I bought a mint copy of "101 Stupid Things Trainers Do to Sabotage Success" there and leafed through it last night.
The book serves as an excellent reminder of how many things can go wrong in a training situation.

My pet peeve is #64 - Foolish Icebreakers. I hate icebreakers. If a class is properly designed, the introduction of attendees should happen organically. If you want me to do a formal introduction, fine... but don't ask me to pick which animal is most like me. Just ask me to introduce myself. Better yet, give us a topic-relevant exercise that requires us to meet each other.

Two that I could be better at would be #41 - using inappropriate humor - occasionally my filter doesn't work quickly enough, and #86 - flopping flip charts. I'm a frequent user of flip charts, but this book reminded me that once you flip the page, people can't see what you wrote. The book suggests hanging the important sheets (and they're all important, or you wouldn't be writing them, right?) so the group can refer back to them.
Great suggestion, and a good book.

What are your biggest training weaknesses?

Five Steps to Better Performance Management

It's performance review time at our company - you can smell the fear and depression in the air.

How have we managed to turn something that should be good - some feedback on your performance, a discussion about next year's goals, and a little extra money - into something that almost no one appreciates?

Do you dread performance reviews? Either giving them or getting them?
Well, you don't need to. Here are five steps to making your performance reviews less painful and more productive.

1. Set Expectations in Advance
If you don't do this... don't even bother with the other four steps. It's critical that you let people know what constitutes performance at a 'meets expectations' or 'exceeds expectations' level.
Two cases in point:

• You ask your team to reduce costs by 20%. They succeed, hitting 21%. Does that performance merit a score of 'needs improvement', 'meets expectations', 'exceeds expectations', or 'far exceeds expectations'.
  The answer, of course, is 'meets expectations'.
  I can guarantee, however (because it's happened to me), that a team where expectations have not been set will score themselves as 'exceeds' or 'far exceeds'. It's human nature. Clearly articulate the target for 'exceeds' and 'far exceeds' and you won't have this problem.
• My favorite example - We have a category on our reviews for 'safety'. Every year, every direct report of mine gave themselves a 'far exceeds' for safety. I held a meeting and explained, "If you save a life, you get 'far exceeds'. If you kill someone, you get 'needs improvement'. Otherwise? You get 'meets needs'. Are we clear?"
  Everyone said yes. And then gave themselves 'exceeds' or 'far exceeds'.
  It took me two years to reprogram this behavior.

One more key point. Make clear that a 'meets expectations' is good!
Grade inflation has pushed us to a point where no one is happy unless they get an 'exceeds expectations'.
Set expectations. It'll save you a lot of trouble down the road.

2. Embrace the Bell Curve
This is probably the most difficult part of performance reviews. Everyday, a manager comes to me and says, "Everyone on my team exceeded expectations! How can you expect me to punish them just to fit a Bell Curve."
My response?

Bullshit.
Show me a team or company where everyone is performing at the same level, and I'll show you a mediocre team or company.
In 20 years, I've never been on a team where everyone exceeds.
If they did, the expectations were too low.
This isn't Lake Wobegone.

I don't have enough room to argue or convince you on this, so go do some reading.
Learn about normal distribution. Read up on Pareto.
Study some motivation theory and see how you're killing your best performers by rewarding the others equally.
Until you get over the "every one's a winner mentality" (how about, "every one's a winner, but not everyone wins"?), you won't be a great performance manager.

3. Write (real) SMART goals
SMART goals are like sex. Everyone talks about it, but no one seems to be doing it enough.

Write SMART goals.
Make them unambiguous, challenging, and measurable.

4. Review results (at least) quarterly.
I'm shocked at the number of managers who have this discussion only once a year. And then are surprised that the employees are surprised!

Hold reviews against the performance objectives at least once a quarter. Agree on the results.
By the end of the year, the score is already decided (and agreed upon).
A performance review then becomes a coronation ceremony and an opportunity to discuss the upcoming year - not the past year.

If your SMART goals are tied to a strong feedback system, there's no reason why reviews cannot happen weekly.

If you're an employee, take control of this. Review your performance with your manager more frequently, and I can guarantee that you'll have better results and get better reviews.

5. Enjoy the process
Just a gentle reminder. This whole process is supposed to be motivating and rewarding.
If it isn't, why bother?

Treat it like fantasy football! If people can sit around getting excited about the statistics of football players they don't know, why can't we all get excited about the statistics of people we know and care about?

What are your tips for Performance Management?
Share them with us...

Rant #1: Take only photos, leave only steaming piles of horse dung...

A view of Pt. Reyes National Seashore (just watch your step)

Dear Pt. Reyes Park Superintendent,

What a wonderful park you have.

That said, I saw enough horse dung and flies yesterday to last me a year. If I want horse dung and flies (and really, who doesn't?) I'll go to a rodeo, not to a National Park.

Please, please, please ban horses from the park. Immediately.

It's hard to enjoy nature when you're worried about stepping in a big steaming pile of (what rhymes with) it. Thank you.

Yours Truly,

Glenn Hughes

Getting Away to Pt. Reyes

Angie at Point Reyes

It's a beautiful day in the Bay Area.
Angie and I are headed to Pt. Reyes for a long weekend of dining and hiking.

The Pt. Reyes Seashore Lodge is our home for the weekend. No internet (yet). No TV.
Gotta love it!

I'm hoping we see a mountain lion. Wish us luck...

What's your Cultural IQ?

Have you traveled much?
You've done business in multiple countries?

Maybe you haven't traveled, but you've been exposed to many different cultures.

Do you consider youself Culturally savvy?

Let's find out...

Here's a short test of your global culture knowledge in a variety of business settings.

http://leadershipcrossroads.com/rs_quiz.htm

I did rather poorly - 10/20. I nailed the Asia questions, but didn't do well on the Europe questions. Not surprising, I guess, as I've never been to Europe.

Good luck!

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.

The Three Best Ways to Learn Coaching

Today I attended the Coaching for Brilliance workshop conducted by my friends at Brilliance, Inc. The event was hosted at a Cisco facility (thanks Cisco, and... hey, nice lunchrooms!!).

Heather and Denise facilitate a great session that covers all the bases in one day.
It goes without saying that the best part of the class are the 'live' coaching sessions - but I'll say it anyway.

The problem is, one day of coaching isn't enough. This isn't an issue with the course or design - hell, one month of coaching wouldn't necessarily be enough.

It brought to mind a question I've had many times. If there's a ToastMasters, where people can practice giving speeches in a 'safe' environment, why isn't there a CoachMasters that does the same?

The three best ways to learn coaching are:

1. Coach... a lot - using any method of your choice (but have a method or framework) - and get informed feedback on your performance.
2. Get coached - feel what effective and ineffective coaching feels and looks like.
3. Observe coaching - watch coaches coach, and break down what worked and didn't work.

You can attend a hundred classes. You can read a thousand books. But if you don't do these three things, you won't reach coaching competence (let alone greatness).

It turns out it's easy to do these three things. Just get three coaches together and coach in triads - one coach, one coachee, one observer. Coach one round, give feedback, and rotate. You can do three twenty minute cycles in an hour.

NFL players practice game scenarios over and over, so that they're ready when it's showtime. We do the same thing for important presentations (ummm... you do practice before a presentation, right?), so you should also do it for coaching.

There's my advice... start a CoachMasters at your workplace...

Creativity with Sticky Notes - by Eepybird

Today is Wednesday: "Creativity, Innovation & Thinking" day at huesworks.
I'd say this video meets all of the above criteria.
Check out more at eepybird.com



You could use this video as a case study for innovation. Consider the following questions:

• How did they come up with these ideas?
• What brainstorming methods might have been used?
• How much "yes, but..." thinking was used?
• How much "yes, and..." thinking was used?
• What role did prototyping play?
• Could the 'SCAMPER' exercise be used effectively?
• What other tools or methods might apply?
• Could you come up with more ideas?

Well.... can you?

Are You Leveraging Your Strengths?

Last week, I received Strengths Guru Marcus Buckingham's latest DVD "Go Put Your Strengths to Work". It captures an excellent live presentation and it's reasonably priced.

As attendees of my management workshops will attest, I'm a big Marcus fan.
If you don't know him, Marcus Buckingham is a former Gallup Organization researcher and current best selling management author. He also has the delivery of a stand-up comic, so he's fun to watch.

Earlier this year, I was showing a Buckingham video in India. I'd seen it a dozen times, so I pulled out my index cards and decided to practice sketching while the attendees watched. The result is above.

I'm not particularly good at drawing, but the act energizes me. That feeling fulfills one of Buckingham's basic definitions of a strength - a strength is something that strengthens you.

Not everyone agrees with his core belief that "you will grow the most in your areas of greatest strength". According to surveys, in fact, most people disagree with that statement.
His latest book, "Go Put Your Strengths to Work" addresses this.

I believe his thesis.
I (and my teams) have been most successful when I focused on bringing my strengths to the team - not on correcting my weaknesses.

When I've been in positions that don't call on my strengths, I did okay work. But I struggled, feeling drained at each day - not able to summon the energy to do outstanding work.
In my current role, which calls on all my strengths, I have endless energy.

I stumbled on this formula before I discovered Marcus, but his books helped me put it into words. They also helped me realize that I wasn't a slacker for not wanting to grunt and sweat my way through my weaknesses.
On my current team, as much as possible, we trade each others strengths for weaknesses, so that there are few times when we feel drained.

I'm lucky to be on such a team, but I'm only lucky because we know our strengths and communicate them...

If you're not so lucky, go to iTunes and search for Marcus Buckingham's "Take Control of Your Career and Your Life". This podcast shares his process to identify your strengths and bring them into your worklife.

As for me? I'll keep finding ways to draw at work!

Tom Peters: Seven Questions about Brand You

My Dad, Tom Peters and me - Palo Alto, CA (1989)

Some things age well. Some things don't.
My dad looks younger today than he did in this photo 20 years ago.
And Tom Peters is still provoking thought and discussion.

Here are 7 timeless provocations from Tom, from 'the brand you 50', published in 1999. Use this exercise to create your 'personal brand'.

1. I am known for (2-4 things). By this time next year, I plan also to be known for (1-2 more things).
2. My current project is challenging me in the follow (1-3 ways).
3. New stuff I've learned in the last 90 days includes: (1-3 things).
4. Important new additions to my Rolodex in the last 90 days include (2-4 names).
5. My public - local/regional/national/global - 'visibility program' consists of (1-2 things).
6. My principal 'resume enhancement activity' for the next 90 days is (1 item).
7. My resume/CV is discernibly different from last years on this date in the following (1-2 ways).

Trade 'Rolodex' for 'LinkedIn' and it's hard to imagine anything I'd change in this list.

Three Reasons Why This Was a Great Sunday...

1. The NY Football Giants won a thriller over Cincinnati, in overtime, to go to 3-0. (if you didn't know, I'm from New York)
2. The NY Yankees won the final game played in Yankee Stadium, while giving the 'cathedral' the kind of farewell that only the Yankees seem to do right. As Derek Jeter said to the fans after the game - "Pride, Tradition, and the best fans in the world..."
3. In between #1 and #2, Angie and I squeezed in a nice walk at Alum Rock Park, where I caught the snake pictured above. While it smelled like demon spawn (seriously, I've never smelled anything this bad... I immediately had to wash, twice), it was a beautiful snake, and very generous with the whole 'forked tongue' routine for my camera. When I got home, I found out - courtesy of my Audubon reference book - that garter snakes emit a musk when irritated.
   So, I've been musk'd!
   

How much do you know about Hues?

I love the site designverb, and highly recommend you check it out.

From it, I was directed to a page that tests your ability to distinguish hues.
Women are a lot better at this than men, but hey, my name is hues, right?
I should be pretty good at this.

Well, I took the test, and felt I did pretty well.
I didn't, however, expect to achieve a perfect score... but I did!

Give it a try. It's here.

Learning Culture Through Film: Maiko Haaaan!!!

This week's ‘Learning Culture Through Film’ Feature is “Maiko Haaaan!!!" a Japanese comedy about a loser who moves from Tokyo to Kyoto to chase geisha, prompting his jilted girlfriend to follow and try to become a geisha.

As is my custom, I won’t review the film - you can find reviews here. Rather, I want to highlight what you might be able to learn about Japanese culture, by watching "Maiko Haaaan!!!".

To do this, I'll discuss three scenes from the movie, using a facilitator's debriefing strategy called 'What, So What, Now What'.

'What' - asks what happened?
'So what' - asks what that means and why it matters?
'Now what' - asks what you can do differently in work or life, based on this knowledge?

SPOILER ALERT – If you don't want to read plot spoilers, stop now!

1. We see our ‘hero’ get transferred to the Kyoto branch of his company.
What - The main character is working in Tokyo, when he gets transferred to Kyoto.
So What - Getting transferred from HQ to a regional office is a clear message that you are a poor performer. In a society that doesn't like to fire people, moving them to a branch office is the next best thing.
Now What - Be aware of the social status of branch offices. Moving an employee away from HQ to drive a new office, for example, may not be met with enthusiasm. What you intend as an honor might be taken as a message that you're trying to get rid of the employee.

2. We see our ‘hero’ and other photographers chasing geisha through the streets for a photo.
What - We see a ridiculous grown men running through the streets of Kyoto, acting like obnoxious little kids or paparazzi, as they take photos of geisha.
So What - This really happens. I know that because, umm, I've been that guy. Photographers stalk the streets looking for a shot of this 'lost' icon of Japan's past. Seriously, it's a big dea. Most Japanese have never seen a geisha. It's like seeing Angelina Jolie...
Now What - Realize that seeing a geisha in Japan is like seeing an American Indian. Yeah, they were everywhere at one time, but not so common now. And when you do see them... they probably won't look (or act) like you expect.

Well, yeah, I might have chased a couple geisha around (for a photo...)

3. We see the boss introduce his employee into the geisha world.
What - Our 'hero' can't get into a geisha house until his boss brings him there.
So What - When an employee enters the workforce, it's common for the boss to become his new 'father'. The boss might introduce him to a female employees as a potential wife. The boss might also take him to restaurants or nightspots and introduce him.
Now What - Don't be surprised if you see Japanese managers taking a paternal view of their employees. Don't be surprised if you Japanese employees come to you with questions of a somewhat personal nature. I had Japanese employees ask me for financial advice, relationship advice, travel advice, and more. There were a few times I was stunned at some of what they asked. Bottom line - it's part of the responsibility of a manager.



Someone said all comedy is based on truth, so look for the truth in the comedies you watch and see what you can learn from them.
Have you learned about culture from a film? Tell us what you've learned.

An Fine Example of Information Graphics

Whether you call it information graphics or visual communication, many stories are better told with pictures.
Some stories are even better if told with Venn Diagrams.

Don't believe me?
Well, check out Jessica Hagy's "Indexed" Website or book.

Some of her stuff is very subtle, but others - like the one above - are flat out brilliant.

Looking for a creativity exercise? Or a new way of communicating an idea?
How about challenging your team to express their problem in a Venn diagram.

It just might work.

My Five Attempts at Chiasmus...

I always preach learning in action... so here goes...

Having just finished a book on chiasmus (see the post below), I've attempted to write five chiasmus. No promise that these are original - just that I wrote them spontaneously.

1. Doing what you know is as important as knowing what you do.
2. I'll remember to remind you, if you remind me to remember. (this is a conversation that Angie and I had on multiple occasions, sadly)
3. It's not the fall that hurts - it's the hurt who fall.
4. A heart should not hold a love that blooms. A heart should be a bloom that loves.
5. She sure was pretty.... at least, I'm pretty sure.

Your turn!

Book Review: "never let a fool kiss you or a kiss fool you" by Dr. Mardy Grothe

After reading “I never metaphor I didn’t like” - see my review here - I picked up three other books by the author.

"Never let a fool kiss you..." features ‘chiasmus’, which, according to Dr. Grothe, are ‘a literary devise in which word order is reversed’.

My very favorite quote, “Think like a man of action, act like a man of thought” fits in this category.

Title: "never let a fool kiss you or a kiss fool you"
Author: Dr. Mardy Grothe
Genre(s): Reference, Communication, Creativity
Summary: to quote the books subtitle: "word play for word lovers"

Favorite Quote: Here are three:

1. “Art produces ugly things which frequently become beautiful with time. Fashion produces beautiful things which always become ugly with time." – Jean Cocteau
2. "This isn’t a bar for writers with a drinking problem; it’s for drinkers with a writing problem." – Judy Joice
3. "I’ve been too fucking busy, and vice versa” – Dorothy Parker

Strengths: It's funny, inspiring, and educational.
Weaknesses: Okay, this one is too short. While ‘metaphor’ was 324 pages, ‘never let a fool kiss you’ is only 119.

Conclusion: I’ll summarize with my own chiasmus - This book is too much fun to be this smart; and too smart to be this much fun.

Post-it Flags: 28 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.

What is Language Processing?

Today I'm at the Hotel DeAnza Hotel in San Jose facilitating a strategic discussion for one of our divisions, using the Language Processing (LP) method.

Language Processing is a great method for achieving alignment on a problem that's still at the qualitative (vs. quantitative) stage.

LP operates under the assumption that semantics are critical at this point. By addressing those semantic differences, it provides a process that almost guarantees a smooth facilitation.


Here are three ways you can learn more about Language Processing.

• This article outlines how to do a language processing session. I was surprised to see it called a 'KJ Analysis'. It turns out that it was named after Jiro Kawakita, a Japanese anthropologist.
  As one who fancies himself an amateur anthropologist (you cannot live overseas for 10 years without becoming an amateur anthropologist - as well as an apologist for American policy, but that's another story), I'm unreasonably pleased to discover this methodology was born from anthropology.
• This short manual by the CQM organization, is the one I carry for my sessions.
• "A New American TQM" - while looking through a peer's bookshelf, I found this excellent hardcover book by the Center for Quality Management that covers both Language Processing and the 7-Step Problem Solving Methodology.
  The book is out of print, but you can buy it used on Amazon. I ordered it yesterday.

Read the article and try it on your next qualitative problem statement.

Will your job be offshored?

It depends on how much value you add.

I'll propose this simple litmus test:

Can your job be drawn on a flow chart?

If the answer is 'yes', then I can tell you now that your job is going to be:

1. outsourced, or
2. automated, or
3. outsourced and then automated

Don't believe me? Look at every job you've seen outsourced or offshored.
I'll bet you can draw the tasks of that job in a flowchart.
Now look at the jobs that are 'safe' - most of them can't be flow charted.... yet.

Can you flowchart phone support? Yep, most of it anyway.
Can you flowchart in-store support? Pretty hard to do.

My solution? Flowchart your job and - as the Red Hot Chili Peppers say - "give it away, give it away, give it away now".
Seriously. Then start doing stuff that isn't on the chart and can't be charted.
Then, as soon as you get it structured, give that away, too.

It's time to sail off the chart. We've got to be explorers now.

Poll: Does Your Team Have a Mission Statement?

It seems like I don't go more than a week without a conversation about mission statements...

This weekend I've been reading "The Five Most Important Questions You Will Ever Ask About Your Organisation" by Peter Drucker, with new material by Jim Collins, James Kouzes and others.

I'm pleased to see that Mr. Drucker and I agree strongly that "The effective mission statement is short and sharply focused. It should fit on a T-shirt. "
We also agree that "Your core mission provides guidance, not just about what to do, but equally what not to do."

This is the first book by Drucker that I've read (I know, I know... it's inexcusable, I promise to make up for it in the next few months) and I'm sure we'll agree on a lot... as if his work needs my validation.

Anyway, that brings us to this weeks poll (you'll find it to the right):
Does your team have a mission statement?

Does Your Offering Succeed on Five Levels?

In an earlier post - 'Mindmapping Huesworks' - I outlined the terrain that I plan to cover with this blog.

Following that framework, I've been cycling through the five elements, from Monday to Friday.
Occasionally, however, I run across something I want to post, but am not sure where to put it.

Such is the case with this music video by Japanese singer/songwriter Cocco . Cocco is performing "The Hill of Dugongs" at LiveEarth in Japan. Don't be confused by the newsreel opening, there is a music performance here!



I could file it under:

• 'Leadership' as an example of authenticity, passion, and being a role model. Cocco is from Okinawa, so this isn't just a trendy issue for her.
• 'Learning' as an example of teaching through story.
• 'Creativity' because of her expression through music.
• 'DesignComm' for the way she designs her communication and communicates her design.
• 'Global Culture' for the views Cocco provides of Okinawa, Japan, and even the US.
  

Instead of filing this in any catagory, I'll just offer it, with the observation that the best offerings often succeed or provide on many levels.

I watched a lot of LiveEarth last year and, for me, Cocco's performance - along with Dave Grohl's exhortation that "It's times like these we learn to love again" - was the highlight of the festival.

What can we learn from Cocco?
How about this question - do your offerings succeed on five levels?

Do you "Gross Out The World"?

My better half, Angie, doesn't!
Angie knows how to eat noodles in Japan, as she demonstrates in this photo from a Yokohama shop.

Since Friday is culture day at huesworks, we'll see if you are as adept as she is.

"Don't Gross Out the World" is a short, fun site that tests your global dining etiquette.

It's also well designed, and easy to use - a great way to learn.
Enjoy!!

Metaphors and Learning

As I just finished the book "i never metaphor i didn't like" (see review below), I decided to write a few metaphors to stretch my muscles.

• "Learning is to teaching as eating is to cooking. You can't fully appreciate the former without having done the latter."
• "The Arizona desert is a kaleidoscope of rock, sky, and cloud".
• "A blog is like a journal, people regularly appear there, and it should change each day.
  A website is like a tombstone. People visit once a year, and the contents are unlikely to change."

Write a few and post them!

Book Review: "i never metaphor i didn't like" by Dr. Mardy Grothe

I found this book in a Borders in NJ last week and picked it up. While I was getting my hair cut, my dad was gigling in the background at some of the lines.

Title: "i never metaphor i didn't like"
Author: Dr. Mardy Grothe
Genre(s): Reference, Communication, Creativity
Summary: I can't do any better than to quote the books subtitle: "a comprehensive compilation of history's greatest analogies, metaphors, and similes"

Favorite Quote: I'll give you three:

1. "Society is like a stew. If you don't stir it up every once in a while, then a layer of scum floats to the top" - Edward Abbey
2. "No snowflake in an avalanche ever feels responsible." - Stanislaw Lec
3. "Life is a grindstone, and whether it grinds a man down or polishes him up depends on what he is made of." - Josh Billings

Strengths: It's funny. It's smart. It teaches. What else do you need?
Weaknesses: None.

Conclusion: I immediately ordered three other books by Dr. Grothe (Oxymoronica, Viva la Repartee, and Never Let a Fool Kiss you or a Kiss Fool You.... 'nuff said?

Post-it Flags: 62 flags - I had a man stop me in Denver airport and say, "That' s the most tabbed book I've ever seen."
* 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.

Creative Tools I: Magnetic Poetry

My Business Poem

Here's a fun site from the Magnetic Poetry folks.
You may have seen magnetic poetry kits in book stores.

It's a box full of words that are on magnets. You can toss them on a refrigerator and whip up a haiku (or a limerick - art is up to the artist...) while you grab a beer.

On this site is an online version that you can play with when you're not near a refrigerator.
This is the office version, so even if you get caught you can tell them you're working on your mission statement!

Unconditional Positive Regard in Action

This is one of the three most impressive videos I've ever seen, and I can't even name the other two (yes, I'm sandbagging, just in case I think of any others).

It's a clip that's featured in the two-day Egonomics workshop. It's used to show what 'Unconditional Positive Regard' looks like in action. I found it on YouTube today and wanted to share it.

Watch it and then we'll continue.



Fred (Mr. Rogers) Rogers is clearly a hen facing a wolf, but he wins anyway.
How is that possible?

It's possible because Fred Rogers sincerely holds Senator Pastori in Unconditional Positive Regard. UPR was a term coined by well-known psychologist Carl R. Rogers (no relation to Fred Rogers). The term means that you suspend judgement and listen to a person with the belief that they can change.
It has to be sincere, or it's meaningless.

Now watch the video again, and see how Fred Rogers trusts Senator Pastori to do what's right, and allows him the space to do so. I'll wait.....

How impressive is that? It's like a superpower, isn't it?
On a scale of 1 to 10, what's your ability to invoke UPR with your worst antagonist?
Can you do better next time?

Top Five Benefits of a Peer Review

Peer Review

This comic illustrates perfectly what a peer review shouldn't look like.

I'm doing a major redesign on one of our core classes, and it's a normal step for us to request a peer review when we've got something substantial to show.

As I just finished my draft of the 100+ page workbook, I asked the crew for a 1 hour review this morning.

For us, a peer review is informal - taking place in our sofa-furnished brainstorm lab, with post-it notes for everyone.

Here are my top five benefits of a peer review.

1. Everyone gets to know what you're working on - This kills any duplication of effort, consolidates resources, and makes sure you don't end up on anyone's project plan ("I didn't think you were busy").
2. You learn - I got six great suggestions from the team. Things I wouldn't have thought of on my own.
3. You build momentum - Seeing their enthusiasm re-doubled my enthusiasm. After all the work, I was a little burnt-out. Not any more!!
4. Talking brings clarity - I worked on this course in silence for too long. It's really helpful to get words out of your head and into the air, so you can hear how dumb they sound - and then improve them.
5. You get buy-in - No one can tell you later that it sucks, unless they're willing to assume some responsibility.

Now, depending on your team dynamics, all five of these could be potentially frightening.
Fortunately, my team is fairly functional (if you don't count me...), so these are productive sessions.

Do you do peer reviews? Tell us about them...

Crushed by Curiosity

I'm destined to die under a pile of books... not a bad to go, though.
Today I stopped by Recycle Book Store, in San Jose.
It was either a great idea or a terrible idea. I'm not sure.

What I do know is that I bought 10 more books, on top of the 20-some that I bought a couple weeks ago, during another used book buying spree.

I bought:

• "The Dip" by Seth Godin
  
• "Writing Ethnographic Fieldnotes" by Emerson, Fretz, and Shaw
• "Research Methods in Cultural Anthropology" by H. Russell Bernard
• "Musicophilia" by Oliver Sacks
• "Writing Up Qualitative Research" by Harry F. Wolcott
• "Effective Training Strategies" by Davis and Davis
• "Bottom-line Training" by Donald J. Ford
• "Encouraging The Heart" by Kouzes and Posner
• "Lateral Thinking" by Edward deBono
• "Rhetoric & On Poetics" by Aristotle

It was a pretty exciting haul for me in many ways.

• I'm a huge fan of Oliver Sacks. "The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat" is one of my favorite books.
  
• The ethnography books look really interesting. I'm curious about using ethnographic techniques at work.
  
• I already own copies of "Encouraging The Heart" and "Lateral Thinking", but I couldn't pass up clean, hard-copy 1st editions of either.
  
• And I have "Rhetoric & On Poetics" as well. This copy is hardcover, with readable typeface, though. That's pretty unusual.
  

Now I just need time to read them...

Pie Chart Humor at GraphJam

GraphJam is brilliant.
This collection of pop-culture humor set to pie-charts is a winner in every respect.

Think about how you might be able to use this type of chart to add a little humor to your presentation, without resorting to 'joke-telling'.

Check it the site. There's much more where this came from.
Watch out though, it's addictive.


more music charts

Learning Culture Through Film - Fearless

One of my favorite cultural learning tools is film.

I started watching Asian film in 1995, in Singapore, when I discovered Gong Li and Zhang Yimou in "Raise the Red Lantern". Next was Wong Kar Wai's "Chungking Express" and the rest, as they say, is history. I now have over 1,000 Asian films in my collection, and watch them for both pleasure and knowledge.

This week, I introduced my dad to Jet Li, in "Fearless".

Rather then reviewing the film - you can find reviews all over the Internet - I want to highlight what you might be able to learn about Chinese culture, by watching "Fearless".

To do this, I'll review three scenes from the movie, using a facilitator's debriefing strategy called 'What, So What, Now What'.

'What' - asks what happened.

'So what' - asks what that means and why it matters.

'Now what' - asks what you can do differently in work or life, based on this knowledge.

Needless to say, I'll be discussing key moments in the movie. If you don't want to read spoilers, stop now!

1. We see two martial art teachers sign 'death waivers' and fight in the streets of the town.

What - Competing martial arts schools historically challenged each other and fought, even at the risk of death, to establish superiority.

So What - The power of the group is much bigger in the East. Individuals like to be aligned to something, and to have that something be powerful.

Now What - Appeal to your Chinese workmates sense of group or affiliation. Hold group events and team building sessions. Being a strong 'father' figure also goes a long way.

2. Jet Li returns to Tianjin to visit his parents grave

What - Jet gives up serenity and possible love. He returns to the scene of his problems. The trigger is when he hears that locals are visiting their parents grave.

So What - Jet hasn't been to his parents graves in a few years. In Chinese culture, there is very little that is more important than honoring your family and ancestors. This drives many behaviors, from 1st sons staying at home to having family shrines inside houses.

Now What - If you're managing or working with a Chinese male, it might be important to understand if they are a first or only son. I also wouldn't suggest making parent jokes, the way we do in the West.

3. Jet Li keeps fighting, though he knows he's dying

What - The final match is rigged. Jet will die if he keeps fighting. He knows it, but continues.

So What - As an educated Chinese, Jet knows the significance of this moment. He knows that the school is bigger than his life.

Now What - Have a long term vision. Think beyond 'right now'. Also, connect today's events to the events of the past. In Chinese culture, it's important to place the 'now' in a historical continuum. Look at how much emphasis the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympic Games put on historical context.

The trailer begins with a quote from Lao Tzu, "Mastering others is strength. Mastering yourself makes you fearless."

In this case the filmmakers are making sure to tie the film to a historical context.

Do you learn from films? Tell us how.

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.

Book Review - The Plenitude by Rich Gold

Being on vacation means catching up on my reading list. I brought 10 books with me to NJ, and I've finished four.

This week I read "The Plenitude" by Rich Gold. I discovered it at the Stanford Bookstore last week after having lunch with David Woodward, the Assistant Director of the Management Communication Program at the Graduate School of Business. David is a smart and funny man I met last year at a storytelling class in San Francisco, but that's a post for another day.

Title: "The Plenitude"
Author: Rich Gold
Genre(s): Design, Business, Life
Summary: "The Plenitude" is what Gold terms the mass of man-made stuff that fills our world. He explores who makes it - scientists, artists, designers, and engineers. He then outlines the 'seven patterns of innovation'. He discusses why there is plenitude (because it's fun to make it!), why that might be a problem, and some possible solutions.
The book is meant to provoke thought, rather than to drive action and it does this admirably.

Favorite Quote: "For an artist user-testing is a joke. For a designer it's fundamental."

Strengths: I liked his distinction between artists/scientists (they work for truth and self, while being paid by patrons) and designers/engineers (who work for and are paid by clients and users).
I also found his Seven Patterns to be useful and interesting.
Weaknesses: None, really. It's very short, which I like. But some might find it superficial.

If you'd like to get a flavor of Gold's writing, go to Scribd.com and search for 'plenitude'. You'll find a presentation that appears to be the 'lost chapters' of the book.

Conclusion: If you're interested in design and creation (of anything). I recommend you read 'The Plenitude'.
Post-it Flags: 14 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.

Five Key Concepts for Adult Education

On Monday, I finished my 2nd course in the Masters degree program for Adult Education and Training at University of Phoenix. The course was AET 505 - "Foundations of Adult Education and Training".

Though I've been a working as a corporate trainer for the past 3 years, my background is in engineering, so most of this content was new to me.

We explored a number of interesting topics.
Here are the top 5 things I learned from the course.

1. Types of Learners - there are three types of adult learners. Goal oriented learners have specific objectives to accomplish. Activity oriented learners attend for social interaction. Learning oriented learners are focused on learning for its' own sake. Knowing which type of learners you're working with will help you be a more effective trainer.
2. Learning Barriers - There are three types of learning barriers that adult learners face - Situational (barriers that take place at a given time - such as a lack of money or time), Dispositional (barriers in attitude or self-perception), and Institutional (barriers caused by the learning organization - such as: how often classes are offered, where they're offered, etc.).
3. Universal Design for Learning - Based on the idea that accessible design improves access for everyone, this method follows the approach started by architects. Here's an excellent graphic guide to UDL.
4. Teaching Portfolio's - This was a surprise to me. Teachers have recently taken a page from artists, photographers, and architects by building portfolios of their work. Recognizing that an interview cannot capture the complexity of what a teacher does, online portfolios that collect courseplans, student results, and videos are becoming common.
5. Use of Reflection in learning - There are three types of reflection in learning (why always three?) - Content, Process, and Premise reflection. Content Reflection asks 'what is really the problem here?'. Process Reflection asks about the problem solving strategy we're using. Premise Reflection asks us to question our basic premise.

I found the discussion of premise reflection to be of particular value.
Although it can be painful, I believe that the step of questioning the basic premise that underlies all subsequent desicions is necessary.

In innovation workshops, we call this the 'flat world' exercise. Someone had to question the premise of a flat world, before deciding to sail around the world.

Have you or your organization reflected on your premise recently?

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.

hues values

I believe that values are an important ingredient in the lifelong success of any person or business. Goals and objectives help you keep score, but alignment with values helps you win the game.
Quite a few of my team-building workshops focus on identifying the values that a team holds. Until you know your values, it's hard to tell if you're working in the right place, or on the right project.

Here are the values that drive my thoughts and actions.

Passion Matters

• There’s nothing I'd rather do than this - whatever this is.
• There’s no one I'd rather be with than our team and your team.
• Fun is a core design component in every one of my offerings. If that sounds unprofessional to you, I'm not the right partner for you at this time.
• I use these offerings in my life and work. I believe they are the best available.
• When that feeling isn’t there, I'll change or recommend someone else.
• I don’t see myself as a vendor – I see myself as a partner. If you don’t want me as a partner, I don’t want to be your vendor.

Innovate or Die!

• I aim for ‘a-ha’ experiences. They rock my world, and I think they’ll rock your world as well.
• I don’t create ‘me too’ products. I love being unique. ‘Blue Sky Thinking’, ‘Provocation’, ‘Thinking Sideways’, and ‘Falling Forward’ are typical phrases you’ll hear here…(Hear Hear!!)
• Unless I can ‘better the best’, I'll send you straight to them.
• I take risks, with a view to fail fast and fail cheap. I admire rebels, nomads, wanderers, adventurers, explorers, and inventors. I believe it's riskier to not take a risk.
• I look for 'R.O.M. - Return on mistakes'. I celebrate failures.

Be Authentic

• You might love who I am. You might hate who I am. But you’ll have no problem knowing who I am.
• I strive to not be overly tricky, clever, or complicated – in my offerings or in my life. I won’t try to fool you.
• My life and my offerings are aligned. The offerings reflect what I have learned in life, and my life gains from these offerings.
• Facts change. Truth endures. I search for the truth that lies behind the facts.
• We’re global. Our lives are global. My offerings are global. Anything less would not be authentic for me.
• I lead in the classroom, but I live in the field. The frontline is where I spend most of my time, ensuring that I hear the voices that executives never seem to hear.

Openness as Confrontational Zen™

• If I don’t believe in an idea, I'll give you the chance to convince me.
• If you’re willing to give me the same opportunity, together we’ll learn exponentially.
• I believe it’s a sad day when you or I don’t learn something new.
• I believe in confronting issues, problems, challenges, ignorance, prejudice, bias, gaps, rules, laws, models, myths, assumptions, and beliefs - But (here’s the Zen part) with no destructive emotional attachment.
• If neither of us can convince the other, there are only two possibilities:
  1) I am not strong enough as a teacher to help you see my position.
  2) I am not strong enough as a learner to see your position.

I'm Skeptical, not Cynical

• I think that’s true of you, too.

What you Need, Nothing More

• Like a women’s skirt – solutions should be long enough to cover the subject, but short enough to be interesting.
• If the above offended you, see "Passion Matters, #3".

Live, Learn, and Design through Story

• Not fables, tales, or myths. I'm a skeptic, remember?
• Real stories. Real people. Real research brought to life through examples.
• I want to know your story. I want to read the next chapter of that story. If I can help you write it – well, that’s cool too.

Be Physical

• I pat backs. I give high fives. I play loud music. You might catch me playing guitar, juggling, drumming on the table, or throwing stuff around.
• I'm a geek, but I'm a kinesthetic geek. I love research and data, but ultimately, we must put it into action. I make things happen. It’s what keeps me innovative and open.

I'm Accountable

• I own everything I do.
• I sign everything I do.
• I take the blame and share the credit for the output.

Aesthetics are a Need, not a Desire

• When I hold true to the above 9 values, a natural beauty emerges.
• Not ‘beautiful vs. ugly’ – last year’s ugly is this year’s beauty, after all.
• I embrace ‘beautiful vs. inauthentic, inorganic, cumbersome, or clever'.
• I want to engage all your senses.
• That’s why I fight for the above 9 values.

Offerings, not Products

• I don’t like selling. I don’t like being sold to.
• The above 10 values represent my sales technique.
• I love to team up with passionate learners.
• Water flows downhill – when you’re ready for my offerings, I'll be here.
• The easiest sales technique in the world is fear – and I refuse to use it (if you find me doing it, call me on it… please).
• My growth is measured in relationships, experiences, and wisdom before dollars.

For the past few years, my values have been in alignment with my work and my company, but it hasn't been that way for all of my career. How about you?
Have you done a values exercise? What are your values?
Have you experienced a time when your values and the values of those around you were not compatible?

Poll: How are you Learning?

This weeks poll asks "how are you learning currently?"

1. Are you learning by going to school?
   This would include high school, college, or graduate programs.
2. Are you learning by attending workshops?
   This would include short courses run by community centers, commercial training companies, online learning organizations, and more.
3. Are you learning 'on-the-job'?
   Someone is teaching you the ropes through an in-house program, a mentoring program, or some type of 'sign-off' buddy system.
4. Are you learning informally?
   This would include reading, web-surfing, communities of practice, forums, and hobbies.
5. Or are you taking a break from learning?
   Maybe you're on vacation. Maybe you're focused on life in general. Or you're working so hard that there's very little learning going on in your life.

I'm currently engaged in all of the top four.

• I'm learning at school as I work on my Master's degree in Adult Education and Learning.
• I'm attending two upcoming workshops in September and October (one on coaching and one for Leadership Challenge).
• I'm in a constant state of learning in my job. I'm designing a new class, which is also a learning experience for me.
• Finally, I'm learning informally through this blog. I finally decided to work on a customized blog format, so I downloaded this template from eblogtemplates.com, and spent some time customizing it. I've also spent a lot of time reading this weekend. Over the next few weeks, I'll blog on what I've learned.

So how about you? Take the poll and post your comments.
How are you learning?

About Glenn Hughes

Design and Delivery of Authentic, Innovative Global Learning

Glenn Hughes is Director of Global Learning for KLA-Tencor Corporation. He holds a Bachelors Degree in Engineering and a Masters in Adult Education and Training. His mission is to "Accelerate Learning" for global teams and individuals (see Glenn's LinkedIn Page).

To accomplish this, he leverages his engineering background to facilitate analysis of opportunities and then design the appropriate learning solution for each challenge.

Possessing a robust toolbox and extensive experience in Global Operations, Glenn lived in Japan and Singapore for more than 10 years and continues to spend 8-10 weeks a year doing business in Asia.

Called the 'Indiana Jones of Corporate Learning' by one colleague - for his willingness to travel anywhere and explore any problem - Glenn has practical experience and insight into doing business cross-culturally.

Glenn has designed learning solutions for:

• Duarte Design's slide:ology
• PowerSpeaking's Speaking to the Big Dogs
• Group Harmonics' Make Work Great
• huesworks' SMART as Hell

Glenn's Certifications include:

• Edward de Bono's Six Thinking Hats® Instructor
• Ken Blanchard's Situational Leadership II® Instructor
• Duarte Design's slide:ology - The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations® instructor
• Kouzes & Posner's The Leadership Challenge® Workshop Level I Facilitator
• PowerSpeaking's Speaking To The Big Dogs® Instructor
• PowerSpeaking's FastTrackSpeaking® Instructor
• PowerSpeaking's HighTechSpeaking® Instructor
• Ken Blanchard's DiSCovering Yourself and Others® Instructor
• Vervago's Precision Q&A® Instructor
• Marcum & Smith's Egonomics® Instructor
• Coach U's Core Essentials Coaching Graduate
• InsideOut Coaching® Instructor
• CMOE's Applied Strategic Thinking® Facilitator
• Mager Associates Training Director's Workshop
• Aperian Global's Working Globesmart® Instructor
• The Grove's Principles of Graphic Facilitation
• CMOE's 8-Step Coaching Model
• Barnes and Conti's Exercising Influence®
• Miller Heiman's Executive Impact®

Glenn also practices:

• The 7-Step Problem Solving Method
• The Language Processing Method
• Patrick Lencioni's Five Dysfuntions of a Team®
• Tuckman's Team Development Model
• ProSCI's Change Management Process and ADKAR Model
• Charthouse Learning's Fish! Philosophy®
• Lominger's Leadership Architect Competency Cards
• hueswork's PhotoFacilitation