Who Are You? The Twenty Statements Test

I am... hiking at Alum Rock Park today...

The 'Twenty Statements Test' is a simple exercise for exploring one's sense of self.

Here's a pdf version of the exercise.

Take 12 minutes to list as many words as you can that complete the statement, "I am..."

The TST can be use for self-reflection, or for coaching.

Some questions you might ask, or reflect upon after completion would include:

• How many gender specific phrases did you use?
• How many external vs. internal identities did you express?
• How old or new are these self-images?
• Are there any you want to change?

Here's mine (completely without a filter). I am:

1. a musician
2. creative
3. a traveler
4. a songwriter
5. a storyteller
6. in love with my wife
7. a fan of the NY Giants and Yankees
8. more happy to be alone than people think
9. content
10. optimistic
11. an explorer
12. a thinker
13. intuitive
14. often loud
15. son of Sam (my dad's name)
16. observant
17. always moving
18. a beach bum when i can be
19. not afraid of much
20. an engineer
21. an artist
22. a teacher
23. a photographer
24. visual
25. verbal
26. global
27. a less than active family member
28. apolitical
29. agnostic
30. watchless, phoneless, and combless
31. a dog lover
32. a naturalist
33. an amateur anthropologist
34. disappointed in the state of architecture
35. an ex-expatriate
36. blessed with great friends
37. at my best in new situations
38. constantly learning
39. a smart-ass
40. grateful

These aren't too gender specific identities, and there's a pretty even balance between internal and external. Almost all of these have been true since I was young.

Try it!

How To Be Global (Part Two): A Reference Library

Making friends in Seoul, South Korea

Yesterday, I mentioned that in this global environment, we're all similar and yet we're all different.

One example of that is that we all like music and movies - but different cultures will like different kinds of music and movies.

One of my favorite ways to bridge the culture gap is to learn about popular music and cinema in the countries that I visit and work in.

I often open a conversation or presentation by discussing the movie I just saw.

It builds rapport, as most Indians, Chinese, Koreans or Japanese can't believe that you'd actually watch a local movie. If you actually like it, they're thrilled!

In that spirit, I've made a list at Amazon of my favorite Asian books, movies and music.

But hey, if it's art or sports that makes you tick - then go that direction.

hues asian film collection

hues asian music collection

hues asian culture bookshelf

You can find plenty of clips of the bands and singers on YouTube. 

I'll whet your appetite with Anggun, from Indonesia, singing "Snow on the Sahara".

How to be Global in Three Easy Steps...

It's a global world. How do we live in it?

Here are three ways:

1. Assume that there are differences.

You can't be global by believing that everyone is just like you.
Not everyone talks like you or listens like you, eats like you or uses a toilet like you, sleeps like you or wakes like you, thinks like you or judges like you, was raised like you or raises children like you do, watches TV programs like you do unless it's American Idol in which case they do, dances like you or stands in the corner making fun of people who dance like you do, drives like you or walks like you, writes like you or reads like you, works like you or plays like you, swears like you or prays like you, laughs like you or cries like you, loves like you or hates like you, lives like you or dies like you.

People are different. Jump in anyway.

You'll make some mistakes and eat some really weird stuff. So what?

2. Assume that there are no differences

You can't be global by believing that everyone is different from you.
We all talk and listen. We all eat and defecate. We all sleep and wake. We all think and judge. We all dance or don't dance. We all work and play, read and write, swear and pray, laugh and cry, and love and hate. We all live and die.

Everyone laughs at mistakes and everyone loves a good sport.

3. Go mix! Embrace the differences and similarities through relationships...

It's a big world and you'll run out of time before you run out of world.

Where The Hell Is Matt? is a perfect example of being global.

I smile every time I see it this video. Given it's popularity, it's clear that many people have a similar reaction.

Matt leverages our similarities, embraces our differences, and builds relationships.

I don't mean to oversimplify, but everything else is nuance...

A Presentation Skills Bookshelf

We're leading a presentation skills workshop this week.

Today, I brought in a stack of my favorite books to share, and realized that it was time to make a new book list.

So, here you go, straight from Amazon:

The hues presentation bookshelf.

There are books here on the art of writing and giving a speech (yes, it is possible, even preferable, to talk without PowerPoint slides).

There are books here on slide design... just in case.

There are books here on information design (yes, it's different from slide design).

There's even a DVD in the mix.

Visual Communication - Shout it Out

Deviant Art is perhaps the most vibrant art community on the web.
I often spend hours wandering through the site, and it's a rare visit where I won't stumble onto an inspiring image.

One of my favorite themes on DeviantArt is the 'Shout It Out' image.
A challenge started by one contributor - Shout It Out's stand at the crossroads of vision statements, mission statements, value statements, credos, slogans, cliches, art, and a random font generator. Hundreds of artists in the community have created a personal 'Shout Out'.

Even the 'worst' (an absolutely arbitrary word) are compelling, in a 'train-wreck' sort of way (you want to pass by, but you can't turn your head away).

If you're struggling with creating a vision or mission statement, or wonder how to articulate your values - one or more of these 'Shout it Out' images might kick start your brain.

Check some out.. I encourage you... (or dare you, if that helps)
You might even want to do your own...

Great Questions: What Have You Learned?

Today I was at Kaiser Permanente for my 'once-every-three-years' exam.
Their new facility on Homestead is impressive.

I had my book-du-jour - Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive - with me, to read in the waiting room.
After my appointment, Dr. Rajput looked at the book, repeated the title and then said, "Tell me what you have learned".

Not, "how is it?" or "what is it about?" or "who wrote it?".
Simply, "Tell me what you have learned."

This tells me a few things about Dr. Rajput.
She's practical. She a learner. I'd also bet that she's an effective mentor or teacher. She assumes that I'm reading to learn. She asks direct questions. And... she's smart...

I say that she's smart because "what have you learned?" is a very smart question.
Here's a few reasons why:

• If I can't tell her what I learned, then my opinion of whether the book is good or bad is probably irrelevant.
• If I tell her I didn't learn anything, we can further discuss whether that is because the book offers nothing new, or doesn't communicate well, or if I'm just slow.
• If I tell her what I've learned, she can decide if that information is useful to her - which is something she can't decide from a 'good' or 'bad' answer.
• It's a question that's seldom asked. And smart people ask the questions that other people don't!

So, yes, I was a little surprised. But I've learned quite a few things from the book and shared them with her.
I'll write a book review when I finish reading the book, but here's the 'two-bullet' version (so far):

1. The power of 'social proof'.
2. The importance of 'maintaining internal consistency'.

What questions get the best results for you?

How to Get New Ideas 01: Random Combinations

Looking for new ideas?
One of the easiest ways to find new ideas is to mix components of two or more old ideas.

This method has produced peanut butter cups (chocolate + peanut butter), the Swiss army knife (a pocket knife + a kitchen drawer) and Sarah Palin (funny accent from Fargo + most laughable candidate since Dan Quayle + Tina Fey career booster).

The Official Movie Plot Generator

allows you to create 27,000 plot ideas by randomly flipping cards. The movie generator website gives you a sample of some of the combinations. I highly recommend it, but I'm warning you - don't have any milk in your mouth when you try it!

The result may be frivolous, but the technique is not. This is a methodology that is used by many creative organizations to generate ideas.

Don't wait for accidental combinations. Make them happen.
As Louis Pasteur said, "Fortune favors the prepared mind".