Finding an Anchor...

One of my favorite facilitations is our presentation workshop.
It's always fun and productive. Talk about learning, unlearning and re-learning...

I learn every time I watch someone present. I learn about humility, perseverance, and authenticity. There are a million different ways to present, but the most successful path is always the path of authenticity.

I try to unlearn bad habits every time I present. Video is great for this. Knowing I'm going to be taped is always incentive to drop filler words, limit my distracting movements, and try to control my tendency to go 'off script' (that's a nice way to put it!).

I also re-learn forgotten lessons. In our last workshop, I was reminded of the power of 'anchoring'.
Many people get nervous when they present. I have found that almost everyone can find an anchoring stimulus that will calm them down.

• For some, it's simply eye contact. When they make one-on-one eye contact, they forget that they are presenting to a group, turn it into a conversation, and relax.
• For some, it's answering a question. So, why not open by inviting questions, or asking the audience a question.
• I've coached a few people who are anchored by writing. They start off nervous, but as soon as they write on a whiteboard or flip chart, they are fine. We coach them to get to the board as quickly as possible. As a bonus, people who write in real-time, look way smarter than PowerPoint jockeys.
• One of our participants found an anchor in his eyeglasses. He found that the act of stopping, taking off his glasses, and speaking directly to one person centered him. He could then get another 'break' or pause, by putting the eyeglasses back on. It looked great - not fake at all - and it made him comfortable.
• For me, sitting is an anchor. If I can sit on the edge of a table, or even sit in a chair with my audience, I slow down and become more present. I always look for a chance to do that.

What are your anchors? Do you have one? More?
Experiment... and let me know what you find.

From Cabo: It's the Little Things that Matter...

Today we hiked up Fox Canyon, in the Sierra Mountains West of Cabo San Lucas.

I always hope for dramatic wildlife spottings - mountain lions, coyote, poisonous snakes... but that's rare.

We did see a coyote, but he took off before we could take photos. So, as is often the case, the highlights were found in the little things.

In this case, my little green friend was the highlight of the day. He didn't like being handled. Every time I caught him, he escaped. But I'm persistent. Finally, he posed for me.

Ladies and Gentlemen: my friend, the frog.

Lingo Bingo - 'Peanut Buttering'

'Peanut Buttering' is a phrase we've been using in our company for about a year.

The best definition I've found is from Brad Adams' Software Blog, though I've modified it slightly

Peanut buttering (v) – The tendency to evenly distribute resources across a full range - instead of the vital few

For us, 'peanut buttering' refers to the spread of benefits (like shares of stock) equally across the company. The alternative, of course, is to give a lot of shares to the top 10-20% of employees.

One of my colleagues just heard the phrase a few days ago and said, "Wow, what a great metaphor!", so I thought I'd share it.

(image courtesy of Everything in Moderation)

From Cabo: Hummingbirds, Photography, and Learning

A hummingbird at Plaza Mijares, San Jose del Cabo

A few days ago, I mentioned that pelicans are one of my three favorite birds, along with kingfishers and hummingbirds.

Today, I was lucky enough to be able to photograph a hummingbird feeding on flowers in the Plaza Mijares.

Photography is one of my addictions, for many reasons:

• photography is a tool I use for making memories (as opposed to capturing them)
• I enjoy the technical aspects
• I find viewfinders to be an excellent tool for seeing
• I find the process of interpreting a scene fascinating
• I enjoy working with the environment - light, shadow, clouds, people
• Tracking and anticipating the movements of people and wildlife is challenging. It combines the skills of an anthropologist, a naturalist, a psychologist, a musician, an athlete, and sometimes a seer
• I constantly learn through all of the above

This was a challenging shot.

The hummingbird was shy. People were milling around and scaring it away.

There were too many flowers in bloom. The hummingbird was flitting erratically from one to another and then back. It was difficult to predict where he would be next.

The light was contrasty. The hummingbird spent much time in shadows, where a good photo was impossible.

I sat around these bushes (there were 4 of them in a 50 foot stretch) for about 40 minutes. The hummingbird spent about ten of those minutes around the bushes. During those ten minutes, I took ten photos.

While this is not an award winning picture, I'm quite happy with it as a record of a beautiful day, an extraordinary creature, and my efforts to capture both.

From Cabo: Authenticity in Action at the Salad Bar

The Thanksgiving Salad Bar at the Hilton Cabo San Lucas

One of the best books that I read this year was Authenticity.

It's filled with excellent examples and useful models.

What was perhaps most striking to me, however, is the 'rightness' of their observation that we all desire authenticity. The opening of the book, a trip through a grocery store, is dead-on.

I find myself noticing this 'authenticity-jones' when it occurs in me, and boy did it occur last night.

We had a Thanksgiving buffet at the Hilton Cabo San Lucas (I should get a free room, considering how many times I've mentioned the hotel). The buffet was outstanding, but one feature really stood out - the salad bar.

I'm not a really big salad eater, but this salad bar stopped me in my tracks.

"Holy crap", I think were my exact words. I grabbed Angie and said, "You've got to see this. It's the most incredible salad bar I've ever seen!".

The interesting point is that it wasn't the largest I've ever seen, or the biggest variety I've ever seen. It didn't necessarily have my favorite salad makings.

Instead, it was the most authentic salad bar I've ever seen.

Look at the photo above. Click on it to see it in full size. You'll notice:

• The servers are dressed like farmer/grocers
• The greens are all in 'original' form - full leaves, full vegetables
• The farmer/grocers hand-cut your salad to order with scissors, in real-time

This was as close as you can get to an 'off-the-vine' salad without entering a garden.

If you cannot take your customers to the source, how can you (like the Hilton) bring the source (or the illusion of the source) to your customers?
Pick one of your offerings and ask these questions:

1. What does my offering look like at its source?
2. What does my offering look like when I serve it?
3. What is the (authenticity) gap?
4. Is the gap good? Some things - perhaps sausage - shouldn't be seen in 'authentic' state.
5. How can you close the authenticity gap?

Caring is not a Soft Skill 1

When teaching customer service skills, I've taken to arguing that only two things matter:

1. Caring, and
2. Transparency.

Nail these and you're good to go.

My other proposition is that Caring is NOT a 'Soft Skill'.
Caring is the manifestation of tangible, measuable acts or behaviors.
These are the events that cause us to say (or at least think), "They don't care about my business" or "They care."

These photos are a record of tangible acts of caring that occur each day at the Hilton Cabo San Lucas Resort. In the afternoons, we return to our rooms to find a hand-folded towel animal animal (or two) on our bed.

It's a little gesture, with a big impact.

• The animals create surprise and delight.
• They inspire curiosity - "How do they do that?", "How many towels does it take?", "How many different animals do you think they can make?".
• They result in us looking forward to returning to our room. This is no small matter, when the weather and scenery is so beautiful.
• Finally, they suggest that Hilton cares enough to take this extra step.

Now, little did I know that "Towel Origami Animals" were so popular.
Watch one made here.

So, what are you doing to show your customers you care?

Note to Interior Designers

I believe that design communicates.
And that good communication should be designed.
I created the phrase DesignComm to cover both these beliefs.

Here's a lesson in DesignComm.
Design doesn't just communicate by how it looks.
Just like words represent only a fraction of communication, visuals only represent a fraction of design.

Case in point - The Hilton Cabo San Lucas Resort.
Our room is beautiful, it really is.

I love the colors. The room looks Mexican.
A pet peeve of mine is hotel rooms that are of 'International' design. I don't know what that means, except "no place on earth really looks like this".
I should be able to wake up and, without leaving the bed, tell you what country I'm in.
The Hilton succeeds at this.

Now the bad news. Cabo is a hot, humid, seaside environment.
And our room is filled with fabric.
Look at the photo above... 6 pillows and a ton of cushions. There are more pillows on the bed and there are fabric curtains.

What does this mean? Must and mildew.
The room smells like my grandmothers closet. We have to open the patio doors, which freshens the room, but brings in more sea breezes to continue the cycle of humidity.

Now, I'm not an interior designer, but even I wouldn't load a seaside villa with fabric.
Why do they do it? Because they don't have to live in it?

How about some blinds? And taking away 9/10 of the pillows?

If design communicates, then this room communicates, "We weren't thinking when we designed this!".

My 50+ Best Experiences

By poolside today, I read Sasha Cagen's "To-Do List: From Buying Milk to Finding a Soul Mate, What our Lists Reveal About Us".
While the book doesn't actually tell us what lists reveal about us, there is a voyeurstic pleasure to flipping through it and reading other peoples lists.

Reading "30 by 30" - a list which details 30 things that one person had done before thirty - inspired me to write my list, starting with the baby sea turtles we just released.

Here (in no particular order) is my list:

1. Releasing baby sea turtles in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
2. Getting married under the Redwood Trees in Big Basin State Park, California
3. Hosting a Geisha Party in Osaka, Japan
4. Climbing Mt. Fuji, Japan
5. Exploring the ruins at Ankor Wat, Cambodia
6. Climbing Ayers Rock, Australia
7. Tracking Howler Monkeys at 2am in the rainforest - solo - at Chan Chich in Belize
8. Touring Frank Lloyd Wrights Fallingwater, Pennsylvania
9. Watching the Chinese New Years Fireworks over Hong Kong Harbor
10. Exploring the Great Wall, China
11. Visiting the Taj Mahal, Agra, India
12. Exploring Borobudur Temple, Java, Indonesia
13. Paddling an outrigger canoe with some locals who were short one padder, Kona, Hawaii
14. Seeing the Vietnam Memorial at Midnight on Memorial Day, Washington DC
15. Watching a Ramayana performance at Prambenan Temple, Java, Indonesia
16. Riding an Elephant in Chiang Mai, Thailand
17. Hiking through rice terraces in Bali, Indonesia
18. Witnessing Thaipusam Festival in Singapore
19. Hiking into the Grand Canyon, Arizona
20. Kayaking 10 days along the Sea of Cortez in Baja, Mexico with friends
21. Hand-feeding Kangaroos and wallabies on Kangaroo Island, Australia
22. Travelling the Li River by boat from Guilin, China
23. Canoeing the Green River, Utah
24. Ice skating under the stars at Yosemite National Park
25. Floating in the Dead Sea at sunrise, Israel
26. Being groomed by wild monkeys in the Monkey Forest in Ubud, Bali
27. Hiking to, and watching the lava flows at Volcano National Park, Hawaii
28. Eating grasshoppers, bamboo worms, and crickets at a night market in Phitsanulok, Thailand
29. Swimming with dolphins in the wild at Kealakekua Bay, Hawaii
30. Going on Safari in South Africa, Botswana, and Zimbabwe
31. Throwing a Hanabi party with friends at Yamashita Park in Yokohama, Japan
32. Staying at Raffles Hotel, Singapore and swimming in the 24 hour, rooftop, clothing optional pool (what? it isn't clothing optional? oops...)
33. Taking surfing lessons in Lahaina, Hawaii
34. Exploring 'wild' caves in upstate New York
35. Taking cooking lessons in Thailand
36. Swimming with three sharks in Thailand (by accident)
37. Catching snakes and geckoes by hand, almost everywhere...
38. Carrying a Mikoshi in a Japanese Festival, Tachikawa, Japan
39. Jamming with a marimba group in Zimbabwe, Africa
40. Taking Gamelan lessons in Ubud, Bali
41. Staying at the Lake Palace, Udaipur, India
42. Staying at the Iwako Inn on Miyajima Island, Japan
43. Taking Taiko lessons in Osaka, Japan
44. Snorkeling with Sea Turtles in Hawaii
45. Enjoying Cherry Blossom season in Japan
46. Meeting Shoukichi Kina and hearing him play "Hana" at his club in Okinawa
47. Watching a ceremonial Legong dance at an odalan in the middle of the night in Ubud, Bali
48. Witnessing a Lion Dance animation ceremony in a Chinese temple in Singapore
49. Watching a sea turtle lay eggs at Phinda Nature Reserve, South Africa
50. Riding a dolphin at Sea World San Diego's "Trainer for a Day"
51. Saying "Dr. Livingston, I presume?" at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
52. Riding the Maid of the Mist at Niagara Falls
53. The colorful burst of maple trees (and maple syrup) in the New England autumn
54. All those karaoke nights that ran so late in Japan
55. Enjoying a Pansori concert at a palace in Seoul, South Korea
56. Watching traditional dance at the Mahabarapuram World Heritage site, India
57. Eating sunrise breakfast with Angie on the Zambezi River, Zimbabwe, Africa
58. Watching Kanoe Miller dance the hula at the Halekulani, Honolulu
59. Eating katsuo no tataki in Japan, lobster in Maine, and Impala jerky in Africa
60. Watching falling stars in Death Valley, California
61. Sunrise on the Lost Coast, watching a whale and her calf playing 50 feet offshore, California

to be continued...

From Cabo: Slope Soaring for the Mind

I've been watching pelicans a lot this week.

One of my three favorite birds - kingfishers and hummingbirds are the others, if you must know - these goofy guys are so ungraceful that they give me hope that even I might be able to burst into spontaneous flight one day.

They are clever, though, on at least one level. They know how to maximize their flight with minimum effort. I've been watching them catch the updraft from waves, a technique that's also known as "slope soaring".
Wikipedia says that slope soaring is "a gliding technique used to maintain altitude by flying in the updraft produced by wind blowing up the face of a steep slope". This requires a "a hill, ridge, escarpment or ocean wave, and a wind that is blowing against the slope".

That got me thinking... when it comes to creativity, what is your hill and wind?
For me, travel is my hill or ocean wave, and conversation is the wind.
When I travel and talk about it, my creative juices flow and new ideas come smoothly and fluidly - like a pelican coasting down the beach.

Without travel (even virtual travel works, checking out new magazines or websites) I'm stagnant. I have few new ideas.
But without conversation, I'm unable to get any real lift from the ideas.
Give me both, and I'm slope soaring.

What works for you?

How to Run a Process Walkthrough

Last week, I tried something new.

I was working with a group on a logistics process, and it seemed to me that the whole discussion was too cerebral. We had a one-dimensional Visio image on a screen, but no process is one-dimensional.

Any process is 4 parts people, 2 parts machine, 1 part time, 1 part emotion, 3 parts fumbling in the dark, and 1 part flowchart..
That's on a good day.

You probably know by know that I'm a sports nut. So, I reached into my sports metaphor toolbox and suggested we do a 'no-pads' walkthrough.

Let's print out each process box on a 8x10 piece of paper, lay it out on a floor, and - like a giant chess board - literally walkthrough it and see what happens.

So, yesterday we tried it. It was amazing to see the difference. Staring at a projected screen is entirely a left-brain event. As soon as we stepped up and walked around our '3-D swimlane chart', people noticed problems. Right brains become engaged.
Imagine the power of using your whole brain at work... no, really... imagine!!
In 90 minutes, we changed about 60% of the process - simplifying and clarifying it.

I was pretty proud of myself, until Ken informed me that this is a standard event in the world of process mapping. Oh well. It was still pretty cool...

Where would a walk through help your team?

From Cabo: Complimentary Water

Our room at the Hilton Cabo San Lucas comes with a daily bottle of complimentary water.

I've been waiting and waiting for my compliment, but still haven't heard it...

Oh, well.

If you see me, you'll notice that I carry index cards around with me. They serve as my 'non-linear notebook'. When I'm bored (which isn't often, but does occur - most often in lines or meetings) I jot notes and quick sketches.
It beats yawning.

I drew this one at dinner the other night, while waiting for our meal.

Learning From Sports: Good is the Enemy of Great

Donnie Walsh, General Manager of the New York Knicks (of the National Basketball Association, for those of you who don't follow sports) apparently agrees with Jim Collins.
Collins wrote the bestselling business book "Good to Great" and opens it by saying that "good is the enemy of great".

It's easy to see what he means. A good team or company doesn't want to take the risks necessary to become great.

Sports is a great laboratory for studying management and leadership, because the results are so easily measured and the stakes are so high. Unlike a typical business, in sports the only real success is a championship. Coaches have been dismissed for 'just' getting their teams to the playoffs year after year. Ask Joe Torre, Grady Little, Marty Schottenheimer, or Mike D'Antoni.

A case in point is the New York Knicks. Donnie Walsh is the new GM. Mike D'Antoni is the new coach. Everyone knew that this 08-09 team would be terrible, and would needd to be rebuilt from the foundation.
But a funny thing happened on the way to disaster. Coach Mike got the team playing well. They were 6-3 after 9 games. Fans were excited about the style of play and the playoffs looked within reach... until last Friday.

On Friday, Walsh traded the teams two best players, basically killing the season.
Why?
Because good is the enemy of great. This team was never going to be great. It's too flawed.
If Walsh let the team become good, then it's harder to break it up. The fans would scream.
By breaking it up early, Walsh can maintain the focus on long-term health (in this case, being ready to bid on LeBron James when he becomes a free agent), rather than short-term wins.
Pretty smart, huh?
But also pretty ballsy. Walsh is aiming for great (a shot at a championship), not good (playoff contention)

What about in your workplace?
I'm often surprised by managers who won't release 'so-so' performers to make room for new talent.
"Things aren't so bad," they reason, "We're hitting our targets".
Yeah, and you're setting a ceiling that you'll never break through.

Think about it: where is 'good enough' stopping you from being great?

From Cabo: Releasing Sea Turtles

Yes, I'm holding a big-eyed baby sea turtle...

This is one of the baby leatherback turtles that we released this morning.
In 2000, we watched a turtle lay eggs in South Africa. Eight years later, we're able to complete the cycle. The rangers brought 60 hatchlings down to the beach, and a group of us got to hold and then release them.

A few thoughts:

• Sense of Direction - This is so important in work and life. Not all species or individuals have it (I know a lot of folks with none), but the first turtle I released sure has it.
  As I held this guy in the palm of my hand, he always knew exactly where the ocean was. Whatever direction I faced, he would turn and start moving towards the ocean - like the needle on a compass always points north. Pretty remarkable.
• Persistence - Watching these little guys waddle through the sand, exerting huge efforts only to get tossed backward by the waves, was tough.
  Most of the turtles got tossed back three or four times. Others had it worse. Often, they ended up on their backs, straining to flip over. Those of us watching would cheer each turtle that finally made it through the surf, its' head popping up in the sea beyond.
• A Little Help from my Friends - As we got down to the final two or three turtles, it became obvious that some of these were clearly weaker than the others. Eventually, all (some with a little human help) made it to the water. They may not last long, but they all have a chance. You never know what they'll do with it.

A great morning...

From Cabo: Vultures and a Saguaro

I'm not the biggest birder in the world, but I guess this is a turkey vulture?
It was fighting with three other vultures over a dead pufferfish.

It's hard to imagine a more vivid demonstration of the harshness of a desert environment than three vultures fighting over a dead pufferfish (even in the best of conditions, I don't think there's much to eat on a pufferfish).

Another of my favorite icons of the desert is the saguaro cactus. Here's one we spotted.
Yes, there's so little in the desert that someone had to use this cactus as a fence post!
It's really effective, I'm sure.

As most of my friends know, I have a really lame sense of humor. One example?
Whenever I see a saguaro, I sing to it, using the melody from "Tomorrow". Yes, the "Tomorrow" that the annoying little red-haired girl sings in "Annie", which I've never even seen...
That's as far as I get before Angie tells me to shut up... which is good, because I don't know the rest of the song anyway.

huesworks is now twittered...

When I fly, I always stop in the airport bookstore for the latest issue of Wired magazine.
It's the only time I buy the magazine (not sure why that is... I always enjoy it). Still, I travel enough that I end up reading 6-8 issues a year.

The November issues has a short article called, "Kill Your Blog" that highlights the rise of Twitter. I've known about Twitter and its social media implications, but I don't carry a cell phone or Crackberry, so SMSing isn't all too interesting to me.
After reading the article, however, one aspect intereste me - the ability to upload short 'blurbs' that aren't worthy of a full blog post.

So... now I'm twittered. You'll see an area on the sidebar to the right called "Instant Updates" where my Twitter updates appear. Additionally, you can follow the huesworks Twitter page.

Enjoy... while I figure out what to do with it!

More Free Software

Don't have Power Point on your home pc?
Lacking Excel or some other MS Office compatible software?

Well, grieve no more...
OpenOffice is just what you are looking for.

Everyone should know this, but it bears repeating/sharing.

Microsoft-compatible, powerful and FREE - OpenOffice rocks! I've been using Impress (the OpenOffice presentation s/w) on my home pc for a few weeks now, and I'm very happy with it.

Waste no time. Go download it and give it a shot.

My Cabo San Lucas Reading List

I've got 6 books with me for this 10 day trip. I hope to finish half...
If I finish more than that, it will probably mean that the weather was terrible.

• Don't Shoot The Dog by Karen Pryor
• Musicophilia by Oliver Sacks
• The Log from the Sea of Cortez by John Steinbeck
• The Power of Place by Winifred Gallagher
• What Every Body is Saying by Joe Navarro
• to-do list by Sasha Cagen

I'm halfway done with Don't Shoot The Dog. This is a must read for every one who teaches, coaches, instructs, manages or has children/kids/spouses/pets.
I'll be sharing a lot of nuggets from this book over the next few weeks.

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.

Triple Your Spanish Vocabulary! Guaranteed or your Money Back!

We fly today to Cabo San Lucas (pictured to the right) for a little RnR at the Hilton Los Cabos Resort.

I love the collision of desert and ocean that occurs in Baja, so I'm really looking forward to this.

Ceviche, chorizos, chipotle, and chiquitas!

Time to start rolling my r's...

Speaking of which, I can triple the average Spanish vocabulary in one easy step.

I learned this in Mexico in 1991.

We were in Loreto, watching a parade of some type.

It looked like an election, so I asked an older Mexican man who was standing next to me.

Me: "Election?"

Him: "No comprende"

Me: "ELECTION?"

Him: "No comprende"

Me: "E... LEC...TION?"

Him: (shakes his head)

Finally, the proverbial light bulb appears above my head.

Me: "Eleccion?"

Him: as if discovering a dog could talk, "Si! Si! Eleccion!"

I realized that if I took every english word that ends with '-tion' and turned it to '-cion', I was now a master of Spanish.

I could go to the estacion and have a conversacion with the populacion of Mexico!!!

Viva '-cion'!

Five Reasons: Why Laser Pointers Suck

Here you go...

1. Laser Pointers are Gods way of telling you that your slide designs are shitty. If you need to point at something, take that as a hint to rebuild the slide.
2. I really don't need to stare at your butt. Your face might not be a match for Brad or Angelina, but it's very likely better looking than your ass. When you take out the laser pointer, you turn away from us.
3. Every time you turn your back, the jackass next to me pulls out his text-phone and starts 'tap-tapping' away. I hate that. Don't encourage him.
4. I get vertigo from your swirling of the 'dot'. I gave up video games years ago. I hated "Blair Witch Project". And I'm not an ADD-inflicted feline that's mesmerized by red light.
5. You look like a dork when play with your pointer. You're going to drop it, or scratch your head with it, or rap it on the table, or do some other equally distracting thing. 

Seriously, throw away your laser pointer and two things happen.

My IQ goes up by 30 points, and my perception of your IQ goes up by 60 points.

What is Plagiarism?

What is plagiarism? This question was discussed in one of my recent classes. I find the Merriam-Webster definition - "present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source" - to be the most useful.

It's an practical question, because plagiarism is all around us. 

1. At this moment, I have the Verve running on my iPod. While working on my homework, "Bittersweet Symphony" played. This is the 1997 hit that was built off a sample of an orchestral version of the Rolling Stones' "The Last Time", which was 'inspired' by "This May Be The Last Time" by The Staple Singers, which has roots in a traditional Gospel song. Next song on my play list  was Jay-Z rapping over "Bittersweet Symphony" in a track titled "Brush Your Bitter Sweet Shoulders Off". Dizzy yet?
   Five generations and only the last one gave proper credit... (http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=478)
2. A few weeks ago, I had lunch with Greg Pyper. I've worked with Greg for a few years, since he was with Marcum & Smith. He now works at a coaching company called InsideOut.
   He asked what coaching model we use and I told him we use the GROW model. He grimaced as he informed me that the founder of his company was part of the group that 'created' the GROW model in the 70's. No one copyrighted it, and now it appears all over the Internet, often unattributed. While it may not technically be 'public domain' (lawyers are trying to figure that out, I guess), it might be common knowledge at this point. What to do?

These are two cases that are just the tip of a massive (and growing) iceberg.
Scenarios like these undermine the credibility of the creator, the adopter, and even of the idea itself.

Knowledge and wisdom are built on the past and taken forward.
That which is built on the past should be honored and then challenged. 

That which is new should be challenged and then, if it passes the test of time, honored. 

To do this, we must know the difference.

What can be done? I think you have to honor the source, both intellectually and in a sense, spiritually. 
That is, you have to know your own voice and know when you're not speaking in your own voice. 
Of course, colleagues can be a big help in pointing that out, as well.

Thoughts?

Three Steps to Dealing with Layoff Survivors Guilt

I've been a manager for 13+ years.

Until today, I'd never had to reprimand, fire, or layoff an employee.

Much of that was luck. I've had good (in character and performance) employees.

Some of that was design. I've always carried lean teams and worked hard to make sure my management teams knew that.

But this economic situation was too big. So today, as part of a larger action, I had to lay off employees.

They handled it with grace and professionalism.

For those of us who remained, there was a dark cloud hanging over the day.

Empty cubicles, bare walls, farewell emails, and hushed hallways - the residue of something bigger than all of us.

The wisest comment I've heard over the past few days came from a security manager who said, "They were our friends and colleagues yesterday. Let's treat them in a way that honors that and allows them to be our friends and colleagues tomorrow, even though they won't work here."

Amen...

My three steps to dealing with the cloud?

1. Taking the top down on my car for the drive home. Wind and sun are my disinfectant.
2. Two Long Island Iced Teas with dinner. Yes, sometimes alcohol is the answer (or part of it).
3. Cary Brothers on the stereo at home. Like Snow Patrol, Cary Brothers excels in "uplifting sorrow". Listen to "Glass Parade" or "If You Were Here" and you'll see what I mean.

Cool Facilitation Toys

It's a dirty secret in the world of facilitation that we're all just kids who want to play.

Anytime facilitators get together, the conversation ends up at questions like, "what games do you use?" or "found any good exercises?".

Here's one for you. Sherryl found this one for me a couple months ago, and we've been using it quite a bit.

It's called a thumball. We got it from Trainers Warehouse.

It's simple and fun. You throw the ball from one person to another. As someone catches it, they look at what segment rests under their right thumb and answer the question like, "where you grew up" or "best fast food". It's a great icebreaker - fast, physical, and low-risk.

Try it!!

The Three Steps of Managing People

One of my first managers, Merc Martinelli, taught me a lot about management.

Merc wasn't a terribly talkative guy, so I can't remember if he told me these lessons, or if I just picked them up from him. I'm guessing he told them to me...

Anyway, here's the lesson...

Managing people isn't that complicated. 

There are just three steps:

1. Tell 'em what to do
2. Give 'em the tools to do it
3. Get the hell out of the way

There are managers who don't provide any of these. Run from these folks; they are not managers, they're damagers!

There are managers who tell you what to do, but don't provide tools or autonomy.

There are managers who give you tools, but don't provide goals or autonomy.

There are managers who get out of the way, but don't provide goals or tools.

There are even some managers who will consistently deliver on two of these three, but the one that's missing will kill you.

What you want (NEED) is a manager who delivers on all three. 

If you're a manager, you need to provide these.

It's not that difficult, but it is rare.

Here's an exercise:
Rate your current manager on these three steps.
Use a three-point scale of never (1 pt), sometimes (2 pts), or always (3pts). 

I'm lucky. My manager scores 8/9.

I wouldn't work for someone who scores less than 6, but I'm looking for a 7 or 8.

Then rate yourself if you're a manager (or even if you're not, you manage yourself after all...) .

How'd you do? Would you work for you?

Weekend Getaway: Coyote Ugly? I don't think so...

Yesterday, we hiked in Henry Coe State Park. It was our first visit to the park and the weather couldn't have been better - 80 Degrees and sunny. We only saw three other hikers on the trails, so it was a nice quiet fall hike.

We took the Frog Lake Trail, to Middle Ridge, to the Fish Trail and then returned to headquarters. Oak, Manzanita, California Buckeyes, and Pine were our companions throughout the trek. Here's the Park map.

Although we hiked 7.5 miles, the highlight of the trip occurred within 200 yards of our car. The ranger station and campground area has a resident coyote. This coyote isn't domesticated - let's call him acclimated. He hangs out around the campground, but you can't get within 20 feet or so of him. Still, that's as close as I've ever been to a coyote and that's pretty cool.

He seemed to really enjoy sitting under this tree.

This coyote is notorious for stealing backpacks, fanny packs, and anything else with food in it.

We weren't camping, so that didn't concern us.
We were pleased to spend time up close with such a beautiful animal.

Learning through Film: Mushi-shi

Mushi-shi is an animation series based on a best-selling Japanese manga or graphic novel.

Set in an ambiguous time frame - it looks like the past, but feels contemporary - this series follows our hero Ginko, a wanderer who studies mushi: ghost-like creatures who live on the continuum between plant and animal.

Most people cannot see mushi, and are unaware of their existence, but they can affect humans greatly. Ginko can see them and he attracts them, so he has become a Mushi-shi.

This series has an X-files feel. In each episode we are presented with a problem or mystery that only Ginko can understand or address.

The series unfolds like a Japanese scroll, revealing secrets at its own pace. There is little action, yet each episode moves quickly. The feeling is philosophical and contemplative, the art is stunning, and the music is beautiful. Mushi-shi is, in simple terms, a masterpiece of its genre. A quick search on the internet will show you the universal acclaim it has earned.

You can learn quite a bit about Japanese culture from almost every episode. One of my favorites is episode #23, "The Sound of Rust". A young girl has an unusual singing voice that attracts a species of mushi. This mushi acts like rust and clings to everything in her village, including people (but is invisible to everyone except the girl and eventually Ginko). The girl stops singing or talking.

When Ginko enters the story, she is a young woman. The villagers are crippled my the mushi, and Ginko arrives to help. Ginko thinks he knows the cure and resolves to solve the problem.
In a scene we've all watched in movies a hundred times, the villagers now understand the cause of their problem, and rush to the young girls house, angry at this 'monster' for causing their pain.

Do they want blood? No.
Do they want revenge? No.
What do they want? An apology...

You know, just like in Frankenstein when the villagers rushed the castle with torches and asked for an apology!

This is a very Japanese phenomenon. Japanese love apologies.
If you mess up on your taxes, or any kind of government paperwork (I was once late for visa renewal) you must write a "gomennasai" (apology) letter.
"I'm sorry I caused the good people of the government so much difficulty due to my lack of consideration... blah, blah, blah...."
When you've shown proper humility, the process can move on.

When I lived in Japan, it seemed we were forever attending these "gomennasai" meetings with customers.
"I'm sorry we charge so much"
"I'm sorry the manuals are in English"
"I'm sorry your engineers broke the machine"

And so on... I actually became quite good at looking and sounding remorseful.

A couple of years ago, Hideki Matsui of the New York Yankees broke his wrist on a diving attempt to catch a ball. He would be out for the season. He called a press conference and apologized to his team, the fans, and his Japanese fans for letting them down by being so vulnerable as to have a season-ending injury.
The New York media was stunned by this apology... they'd never seen anything like it.
This article in the Japan Times nicely summarizes the 'apology' gap.

Bottom line: Next time you have a problem working in Japan and you want to resolve it - you might want to start with 'gomennasai'.

Mindmapping slide:ology

A couple of weeks ago, I combined two cool things: mindmapping and Nancy Duarte's "slide:ology".

Since today is DesignComm day at huesworks, I thought I'd share it with you.

I built this mindmap at bubbl.us

Remember to buy the book and practice the principles!

Creative Thinking Through Metaphors

One of the easiest ways to get creative is through the use of metaphors.

Unfortunately, it's way too easy to fall back on cliches when we brainstorm metaphors.

That's why I love using metaphorical images. We lay out 100 or so ambiguous images and ask the group to pick an image that serves as a metaphor for their challenge. After one person shows an image, I'll even ask others to contribute what metaphor they saw in the image. There's usually a big difference.

Today, addressing staffing, one participant picked up an image of a leopard. From that image, the team came up with 'hunting talent', 'scanning the horizon', 'staying hungry', 'tracking leads', 'working in teams', 'moving fast', 'being agile', and 'prowling the popular watering holes'.

Not sure if that last one was about staffing or their Friday night plans...

Either way, the images gave us some power ideas that we wouldn't have reached otherwise.

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!

The Leadership "Law of Threes"

You don't have to look very far in the world of sports for examples of positive and negative leadership, management, teamwork, and results.

In this piece at The National Football Post, Michael Lombardi discusses the leadership of Tom Coughlin, head coach of the New York Giants football team.

"Yes, I know he has one of the best teams, but what has impressed me about the job Tom is doing is his ability to handle Plaxico Burress and not let it affect the team. He is using a very simple leadership strategy called the “Law of Threes”. On each team there are three types of players. The first are the ones that will do anything that is asked, willing to help the program. The second group are the undecided players, the players that are not sure what to do. And the third are the malcontents. These are the players that want to buck the system all the time, and try to breakdown the team. As a leader, there is a tendency to try and win over the players in group three, by trying to make them happy. But all that does is move the players from group two into group three, and cause you to start to lose the players in group one. What Coughlin has done is focus on group one. He pays no attention to group three and what has resulted is that Plaxico is on an island and no one wants to join him. The team is bigger than Plaxico."

*Thanks to ESPN.com's Bill Simmons for pointing out this article*

Good leadership is usually good behavioral psychology (so why isn't that an MBA class?).

Do these three groups exist in your company or team?
How are you (or the other leaders) handling the situation?

I have to admit, I've never heard of these three laws before. An internet search only brings up references to this article.
But it makes good sense... maybe the "Law of Threes" is worth a try?

Learning From Music and Film: Chungking Express and Wong Faye

Today, I've got a double dip of music AND film for you!

On November 25th, one of my favorite Hong Kong films - Chungking Express - gets a reboot and release on DVD, courtesy of Criterion.

Chungking Express combines seven of my favorite things: the neighborhoods and alleys of Hong Kong, director Wong Kar Wai, actors Tony Leung and Brigitte Lin, cinematographer Chris Doyle, superstar singer Faye Wong, and Faye's excellent reworking of the Cranberries song "Dreams".

Here's a montage from the movie, backed by "Dreams". This clip shows Faye sneaking into Tony's apartment (repeatedly) while she cleans it up and tries to get to know him.

As you'll note, she's trying to figure out if he has a girlfriend.

A few notes

• In the opening thirty seconds, you'll notice a 'people mover' or escalator outside the window. This was (maybe still is) the longest escalator system in the world, called the Mid-levels escalator. It moves people up the hill in Hong Kong. Here's a link with more shots.
• This little apartment is a pretty typical one in Hong Kong.
• Learn more about Faye Wong, an icon of the Chinese music industry here 
• imdb entry on Chungking Express
• In 2005, Time Magazine chose Chungking Express as one of the All-Time 100 Best Films.

12 Types of Story: from Beyond Bullet Points

I had lunch with my buddy Bill Wundrum the other day - I love Black Angus' Cheesy Steak Sandwich, by the way - and we ended up talking about presentations.

At some point, I was telling Bill about Beyond Bullet Points, the excellent book by Cliff Atkinson . Cliff wants us to throw away our bulletpoints, and embrace a storytelling approach.
And you know what? I agree.

I'm tired of doing all the heavy lifting and trying to figure what the hell the presenter is trying to say, as he/she buries me in animations and data.

One of my favorite parts of this book is when Cliff points out 12 types of story.

1. Historical Narrative
2. Crisis
3. Disappointment
4. Opportunity
5. Crossroads
6. Challenge
7. Blowing the Whistle
8. Adventure
9. Response to an Order
10. Revolution
11. Evolution
12. The Great Dream

Before you create your presentation, ask yourself, "Which of these stories do I want to tell?

One Way to Communicate with Images

Take a moment and read the following passage:

Ken sat at a nondescript desk, in a nondescript office, in one of the
cookie-cutter high tech office buildings that populate Silicon Valley. At the
end of the day, Ken checked his emails and say a message from his Japanese
counterpart that read, "Call me".

Ken picked up his phone and dialed the number in Japan.

After exchanging pleasantries, the Japanese manager updated Ken on the days
events. Ken's blood pressure rose and his face turned red as he responded, "He
did what?"

As the call ended, Ken's pent-up anger burst out as he slammed down the
phone. This action relieved some of Ken's stress. Unfortunately, that stress was
soon replaced by a feeling of despair. Ken dropped his head into his hands as he
considered his options and thought, "My career is over".

Now read this version (click to enlarge):


Here are four questions for you:

1. Which method is more efficient?
2. Which method is more effective?
3. Which method is more engaging?
4. What are the pros and cons of each method?

There are, of course, no correct answers to these questions.

We know that Asians, particularly Japanese, are used to reading graphic novels (I'll use this word to include comics, cartoons, manga, and sequential art), but Americans are becoming more and more comfortable with this style of visual communication as well.
If you haven't noticed, look at how much the Graphic Novel section of your local Borders has grown in the past few years.

I've mentioned in the past few months that both Daniel Pink and Patrick Lencioni released business books in graphic novel format. Google also released the user guide for Google Chrome in this format.
Translation: The wave of graphic communication is growing.
Will you be riding it, or standing under it?

I'm rewriting one of my workshop manuals to be in graphic novel format. I'll be offering attendees both formats to see which they choose. As I get results, I'll keep you posted.

Links of Interest:

• Google Chrome Graphic Guide
• Scott McCloud's "Making Comics"
• Daniel Pink's "The Adventures of Johnny Bunko"
• Patrick Lencioni's "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team"

Book Review: Brain Rules

I'm a sucker for books about thinking.

A Whole New Mind, A-ha, Six Thinking Hats, How to Think Like Leonardo DaVinci, Thinkertoys, and The Mind Map Book are just a few of my favorites from the past few years.

So, of course I wanted Brain Rules.

Title: Brain Rules
Author: John Medina
Genre: Psychology, Business, Cognitive Science

Summary: According to Brain Rules, the the human brain is "designed to solve problems related to surviving in an unstable outdoor environment, and to do so in nearly constant motion."

Medina covers 12 Rules related to this proposition.

Favorite Quote: I'll summarize the 12 rules, along with my key learning from each point.

Rule #1: Exercise

Exercising boosts brain power. Data shows that the mind works better when the body is active.

The irony, of course, is that anyone who is going to school (as I am now) needs brain power, but has no time to be active.

But, Medina actually proposes that we should be active at work and school.
Hey, that I can live with!
I already do an occasional 'walking' one-on-one meeting, but now that I've got science to support me, I might do all my meetings out of doors (if you think I'm joking, you don't know me...).

Rule #2: Survival
Introduces a concept I've never heard of before called 'Theory of Mind'.

If I'm understanding it correctly, it's our ability to understand others (even animals and objects, like cars) in terms of their motivations. Only humans can do it.
You might call it empathy.

Rule #3: Wiring
"Every brain is wired differently". That one didn't surprise me.
One size training doesn't fit all? Yep... I kinda knew that.

Rule #4: Attention
We don't pay attention to boring things.

"The brain processes meaning before detail". Giving the overview provides brain candy. Sometimes, I may withhold too much in an effort (unfortunately successful) to create suspense. I say 'unfortunately successful' because that means that the brain isn't working, because...

"The brain cannot multitask". Whether it's with cell phones and cars, or with overviews and details, the brain can't track one thing while working on another.

"10 minute learnings". Medina designs learning modules in 10 minute segments, with a 'bang' (story, image, humor) at the start of end of each one, to hook the audience.

Rule #5: Short-Term Memory

Medina makes two points I find very interesting.

• "The more elaborately we encode information at the moment of learning, the stronger the memory". This is moderately counter-intuitive to those of us who believe 'simple is better'. It explains why all those memory systems that tell you to remember a guy named Bruce by tying his name to your love of Bruce Springsteen songs actually work. If we can design exercises that create a tapestry out of the information people want to remember, we can help 'lock' in those memories.
• 'Retrieval may best be improved by replicating the conditions surrounding the initial encoding'. This means learn it where you're going to use it. It's one of the reasons why classroom learning doesn't stick. And why 'on-the-job' training is successful.

Rule # 6: Long-Term Memory
Elaborative Rehearsal - "Deliberately re-expose yourself to the information more elaborately, and in fixed, spaced intervals, if you want the retrieval to be the most vivid it can be."

For years, people have commented on my memory. "You're a sponge" is something I often hear. It's not always meant as a compliment. I can remember whole episodes of Bugs Bunny or Monty Python skits - but I often can't remember someones name.

Brain Rules suggests that my genetic need to tell stories (and tell them often might) explain my detailed memories. When I watch a movie, I immediately want to discuss it with Angie. Then, at work, I explain it in detail to anyone who'll listen. And again. As a result, I can remember details about almost every movie I've ever seen.

Same goes for places I visit. I photograph them. I sort the photographs. I post the photographs, often writing about them on my website. I share them with friends and describe the context with vivid stories. And it's committed to memory.

Same with books I read, ideas I have, etc...
If I don't talk about it, it literally ceases to exist.
I thought that was only true for me, but it seems to be a common thing.

Rule #7: Sleep
Sleep is important. The problem is, we don't actually have any rules.

We don't know how much is enough, or how much is too much, or if naps are necessary, or just about anything else.

It looks like some people are 'owls' and some people are 'larks'. Check your preference here.

It also appears that humans use sleep as a retention device. The brain doesn't actually 'sleep'. It replays patterns from the day. If it's interuppted, it won't retain them.

So, try having deep thought right before sleep. You might have the answer in the morning.

Rule # 8: Stress
A cool three-part definition of stress

1. There is an aroused physiological response.
2. The stressor must be aversive (you would choose to avoid it)
3. You must not feel in control of the stressor

Rule #9: Sensory Integration
Involving more senses = more memory.
For example, sounds help the brain process better.

Rule #10: Vision
Since 50% of the brain is dedicated to processing visual information, we learn and remember better through visuals.

Rule #11: Gender
Men and women often learn better when separated. They learn differently, and women are more cooperative than competitive.

Rule #12: Exploration
Successful learning should follow the medical school model:

1. Consistent exposure to the real world.
2. Consistent exposure to people who work in the real world.
3. Consistent exposure to practical research.

Strengths: Entertaining, educational, and research-based. An ideal learning book.

Weaknesses: None for me.

Conclusion: You and your grey matter should hurry on over to a bookstore and buy a copy. I bought an extra for my office.

Post-it Flags: 16 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 my Teaching Style?

My Teaching Styles

Here's something interesting I found on the web.

It's the Grasha-Riechmann teaching styles inventory. After filling out a survey, it will tell you which teaching style you are using. You can do it for an individual class, though I did it for my overall teaching style.
You can see from this, that I'm mostly a facilitator and delegator (from my perception, anyway).

Of course, much of that has to do with my workshop attendees, who are typically pretty brilliant people. It wouldn't make much sense for me to take a formal 'lecture' approach with them.

What teaching style do you use?

The Karma of Talent Attraction

I’m convinced that Talent Management is Karmic: What comes around, goes around...

What do I mean? You won’t attract the best talent until you let go, maybe even push along, your best talent. Does that make sense?

Well, I can assure you that it scares the hell out of even the best managers. I mean, we have to get work done, right? How do we do that without our best guys?
By believing that when you push them out, better ones will come.

Don’t believe me?

What about colleges? Would you go to one that wasn’t going to push you out in 4 years?
What about college football teams? Same thing, right? A good football player goes to a college that will give him the chance to turn pro.
What about the old apprentice system?
Or working for ‘hot’ companies?

They pull great talent, and push much of that talent to other jobs.

Let me give you an example.
Once upon a time, there was a division in a big company. 

You may know of one like this – employees called it the Hotel California: You could check in any time you like, but you could never leave…
They kept their top performers through a collection of less than ethical tactics (much like selling timeshares):

• The Guilt Trip: “Please don’t leave us. We can’t live without you.”
• Delay Tactics: This is a common car sales technique. "I’d love to sign your job bid, but I’m sure my boss would like to talk to you first." Of course, his boss is booked full this week, so just wait until next week (when they hope the other job is gone).
• Trash-talking: "You don't want to work for them..." Convincing employees that other departments are terrible places to work
• Undermining You: Telling the team that wants you about your weaknesses.
• Transfer Freeze: "We've implemented a transfer freeze. No one can move until it's lifted." This is usually a lie. Most companies have a pretty strong policy regarding the ability to transfer, because they don't want you to jump to another company.

As a result of stopping the outward flow of talent, this group lost its inward flow. It became the ‘Dead Sea’ of the company.
Word got out and no one wanted to work there.

So what do I propose? In order to attract talent, you’ll need to Generate Alumni. You want to place your talent in great positions and maintain great relationships.
As soon as you do that, more talent will come knocking on your door.

And having a pipeline of incoming talent is a foundation principle of Great Managing.