Fourth Age Communiqué

Things we can all learn from Weight Watchers

2011-04-02T10:13:00.000-07:00

Weight Watchers has been in the business of helping people live a healthier life for over 40 years. In that time it has produced numerous testimonials and noteworthy innovations in the field of weight loss, dieting and healthy eating.

But even if you are fit, healthy, eating well or even apathetic, several axioms hold true across any endeavor:

Start with a goal or target

In Weight Watchers, you start with a target weight loss (e.g., 30 pounds). To achieve this (without specific regard to a timeline) you are given a daily "budget": x points per day that represent a target calorie intake. If you meet (but do not exceed) the intake level over the course of a week, you are poised to burn more calories than you consumed.

In life, you need to know where you're going to be successful (you define your own success). Dreams are important, but you need a tangible result in mind to move forward. Goals are your vehicle to getting where you want to go.

Your first goal is strategic: where do I want to be in a year? What you must do to accomplish that goal is tactical: how will I get there?
Write things down

"If you don't write it down, it never happened."

You learn about yourself when you journal. Knowing your "budget" or "plan" limits helps to hold yourself accountable to your goals.
If you work the system, the system works

Success is in the details, and the details are in the plan of action. When you stick to the script, you stay on target. Diligence brings focus.

Learn, and share, the art of failure

The writer of the book of James says we all stumble in many ways. In any group environment such as Weight Watchers, the safety and accountability is in knowing people have similar stories.
Creativity abounds in safe company

When you have a group of people you can be open and honest with, you can explore challenges in a more meaningful way. And you open yourself to more creative thought than you might otherwise.
Confession is good for the soul

Sometimes we just need to vent our spleen. To share what's on our mind and know we're safe doing it.
Three simple words: "So do I."

Best of all is when we know the people we're being vulnerable with can identify with our circumstances.

Things we can all learn from Charlie Sheen

2011-03-31T18:26:00.001-07:00

Celebrity. Icon. #winner. By turning a series of indelicate public conversations into a world record, few have stirred up the twitterverse like Charlie Sheen.

Chances are you haven't burned bridges with your employer in such a public fashion. Still, there are noteworthy takeaways from the train-wreck-cum-genius-marketing-campaign that is Tiger Blood:

One person's #winning is another person's unemployment check

It is a very unique individual who can get away with trash talking their employer and not collect unemployment. Not even an affluent, caucasian, privileged son of a celebrity can pull it off. So if you're going to publicly stick it to The Man, have a good backup plan. Forewarned is forearmed.
Make lemonade out of lemons

Whatever cards you were dealt, you still have some plays you can make. The question is, how will you respond to adversity? Remember your attitude determines your outcome.
Don't forget where the lemons came from

Sometimes the tragic circumstances of our lives are of our own making. You can only squeeze so much juice out of a bad situation, and some kinds of lemonade are just too tart.
Leverage your notoriety -- to a point.

For most people, it can be difficult to see what the revenue play is when they flame out in a very public way. Don't let that stop you from making the most of a touchy situation. Just remember there's a short half life for cashing in on your foibles; the smart money is on folding early.

Turn your #fail into a #win

John Maxwell teaches: if you're going to fail, fail forward. Or, if you're flat on your face, before you get back on your feet - pick something up! Ultimately, you control your own destiny.
Success != a life well-lived

Today's achievements can be tomorrow's stumbling block. Being good at what you do doesn't necessarily translate to a legacy worth remembering. Your honor and integrity will be remembered longer than your name recognition.

Few have the opportunity to influence on a platform as public as the one Sheen has enjoyed of late. When your actions command attention, are you drawing the right kind?

Things we can all learn from Top Chef

2009-07-09T22:08:00.000-07:00

Top Chef is a popular American television show that pits chefs against one another in a half Survivor, half American Idol model. Of course, the single biggest tease of any cooking show is that we have to trust people we don't know to tell us what food tastes like that we will, most likely, never experience for ourselves.

Remember your purpose

Candidates are judged on their cooking, just like American Idol candidates are judged on their singing. So if you are not competent with the basic requirements, you will not excel.

You are judged on the how as much as the what

The qualitative is at least as important as the quantitative. While Top Chef is a cooking competition, it is also, at its core, a change leadership journey. Executive chefs bear a higher burden of responsibility than the rest of the cooking team - or, leadership matters.

You may get the job done, but how you get there matters

Own your missteps; throwing people under the bus for the sake of expedience will come back on you. In whatever your community of practice, you are bound to re-encounter those with whom you collaborated. If you leave a trail of bodies in your wake, you will ultimately work alone.

Age and experience is a great leveler

Wisdom comes with trials and hard knocks. Competitors on Top Chef Master dramatically eclipse those on Top Chef for professionalism and maturity. There is a big difference between 10 years of experience built on learning from your mistakes and one year of experience repeated 10 times.

Nice guys can finish first

Everyone loves a winner; we love a winner more when they are humble and generous. Whether you win or lose, people will remember how you played the game.

Just how badly do you want my money?

2009-04-22T18:37:00.000-07:00

Or, If you can't say anything nice ... by all means, throw a fit in front of an executive

In a recent meeting with several executives, a non-executive came looking for a handout. A Megan Joy - American Idol moment ensued.

Team A requested an investment in their product from Team B. Team A was rebuffed, and a member of the team made his disappointment known. Team A was offered alternatives, and the non-executive turned down Team B, citing schedule conflicts and displaying a general inflexibility.

What Team A did not know was, the sponsoring executives were open to the funding request ... Until Team B heard this response: "I just don't have time to try something new. But if you won't fund my project, I'll tell my team to kill it." The call ended rather quickly after that.

Nobody likes rejection. We take it personally, especially when we have invested in a particular tool or resource, only to find it coming under attack. Worst of all is when we are unprepared to face change.

Such circumstances do not relieve us from the responsibility of responding well. Being right, or being under perceived attack, is not license to respond with hostility. Burning bridges will not make things better.

But responding well, even being conciliatory, may actually build bridges.

Things we can all learn from Barack Obama

2009-01-20T00:00:00.000-08:00

Today, Barack Obama becomes the 44th president of the United States. There is no precedent for his election.

Make the most of the opportunities (and challenges) in front of you.
You can be an agent of change. You can be an agent of change.
The audacity of hope, residing in just one person, can unify many.
Obstacles don't stop us, they can only slow us down; it is our attitude that can stop or propel us.
You did not get here on your own. Carry your heritage with you.
Rivals can strengthen us.
Destiny is not written for us, it is written by us.

Things we can all learn from Don Imus

2009-01-19T12:00:00.000-08:00

There are myriad leadership and diversity lessons about Don Imus that have nothing to do with the politics of the actual incident.

It is a sufficiently divisive topic that people would feel more comfortable shying away from it, rather than wading into potentially treacherous waters. After all, no one wants to be labeled racist or sexist, which is one of the "wisdom of crowds devolving into mob mentality" lessons worth noting.

But the basic principlces of emotional hijackings that are at play in this particular incident, with dramatic consequences, are also present every time we make bad decisions that affect people around us.

Here, then, are a number of imporant learning points about how we respond in the heat of the moment. Were we to break them down chronologically, the lessons to be learned are these:

If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all - Abraham Lincoln said, "better to keep one's mouth closed and thought a fool, than to open it and remove all doubt." Put another way, emotional self-control is the first and most critical lesson of all. It's one thing to know you want to say something questionable or inappropriate; it's entirely another to actually let it slip from your mouth.

If you make a mistake, admit it - There are few things less tolerable than making excuses or blameshifting. Own your gaffes, your blunders, your inexcusable lapses in judgement. Let your track record and other people defend you.

And if people cannot defend the context of your work record over time, you may need to ask yourself: am I the problem?

If you think you crossed a line, you probably have - People with a strong social intelligence understand, almost intuitively, what impact their words and actions might have on people around them. And they act accordingly.
It's your response that dictates the repercussions - Life is 10% what happens to us, and 90% how we respond to it. You can be wrong, and respond properly, and be thought better of by those around you than when you are right and respond poorly.
There is an opportunity wrapped up in every blunder - For those who blundered, there is an opportunity to come to terms with what went wrong, to recognize the missteps, and to take corrective action in order to avoid the same pitfalls in the future.

Strong leaders recognize the teaching moment inherent in every mistake made by people they influence. This underscores the value of debriefing after every project or new initiative: what went well? What should we do differently? What should we not stop doing?

When you make a mistake, even of epic proportions, you still have the opportunity to fail forward. It remains on you to decide, will I learn from this? Will I pick myself up and move on, and try to make amends?

Or will I choose to blame others for my failure?

Things we can all learn from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

2009-01-19T04:33:00.000-08:00

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is at the top of a very short list of leaders whose leadership case study should be required reading.

You get to decide your attitude.
Learn from others you respect, and from those you do not.
Apply your learning in creative, life-affirming ways.
The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.
You can be an agent of change. Just be ready to take action, and don't assume everyone will agree with or support you.
Fight for what you believe in, whether or not you see change for yourself.
Love is the best weapon of all.

Things we can all learn from George W. Bush

2009-01-18T07:21:00.000-08:00

George W. Bush is the 43rd president of the United States. In his time, Dubya went from being one of the most approved-of presidents (late 2001-early 2002) to one of the least approved-of (2003 invasion of Iraq).

While most of us will never be the leader of the free world, there are things we can all take away from his legacy, regardless of our political affiliation.

Even the best intended plans can be derailed. Make the best of it.
Staying the course is an invaluable leadership trait.
Admitting your misjudgments engenders respect, too.
Your father did things differently than you for a reason. Learn from him.
Keep advisors close by whom you can trust.
If you believe in something, take a stand, even when those around you disagree.
If you make a decision, stick to it.
Hold yourself accountable for your decisions and your actions.
Life will go on without you. Make your legacy count.
History is the best judge of current events.

Innovation for the masses

2009-01-15T19:00:00.000-08:00

“Innovation is the beginning of the intersection between invention and business insight.” – Sam Palmisano, IBM CEO (emphasis added)

Are you an innovator? Do you know how to reproduce or sustain novel and meaningful results?

When we are able to break innovation down into its discrete building blocks, we can begin to measure the real work involved in being innovators. And when we understand the level of commitment required to successfully deliver innovative results, we can begin to quantify what ‘innovation that matters to ourselves and the world’ really is.

Can you bottle lightning?
As Palmisano alludes to in his definition of innovation, the process of breakthrough thinking is fluid, iterative and ongoing. As such, there is no one catch-all classification, because not all creative endeavors produce innovative results. But there are some common characteristics and patterns that distinguish genuine innovation from creativity.

Defining innovation
At their core, innovation and creativity share common traits: novelty and utility (which can also be referred to as value). While creative results are new and meaningful to their originator, those results may not resonate with others. Contrast this with innovation, which is a function of creative scale and impact. That is, innovation’s value proposition is exponentially greater than creativity, because it represents an increasingly wider audience.

Think of creative problem solving as a proof of concept. While a new car prototype may be novel, and perhaps even useful, its derived value is most fully realized when the car is reproduced for others.

Once a new product concept begins to roll off the production line, it has scaled value. On its own, this could represent innovation. But it is the impact of scalability that truly defines the product’s value. A good working definition of ‘impact’ is the ability for a product or service to disrupt the industry or market space into which it is introduced. The extent to which a product, service or offering can ultimately be consumed begins to define its game-changing capability.

If innovation were a mathematical equation, the formula would look like this:

Invention + Business Insight + Execution

Invention
For almost 15 years running, IBM has been the undisputed leader in new patents issued in the United States. This trend is impressive by all measures, and represents a key underpinning of innovation. As a standalone exercise, invention is also a key feeder of the innovation process.

Insight
Another term for business insight is “breakthrough thinking.” Breakthrough thinking is the process in which a promising invention shows how it might yield tangible value.

Execution
Just as a patent disclosure represents potential business value, no business insight stands on its own as innovative. The catalytic moment only begins when the two building blocks intersect. Without application, neither invention nor business insight will yield value – or foster innovation.

Execution is the result of collaboration and communication. Thomas Edison once said his work was the product of 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. By Edison’s reckoning, uniting invention and insight still requires 99% sweat equity to see results.

Breakthrough results
No one can innovate alone. Innovation is an applied mix of networking, teaming and customer insight. And in large companies, the business value of innovation is directly proportional to the scope of the organization required to bring them to bear in the marketplace. In other words, applied innovation tends to take root in smaller organizations faster, but the impact is greater as the size and influence of the organization grows.

Every individual has the opportunity to turn creative thoughts into innovative action, because each of us brings a unique dimension of thought to any challenge or opportunity we face. When we combine these diverse thought processes with our network of peers, we have the potential to yield greater results from the collaboration.

Mining latent ideas

2009-01-14T12:00:00.000-08:00

Questions to unearth potential innovation:

What haven't we tried yet?

What can we break and make better?

What ideas are too far out? Why?

What assumptions are we making that box us in?

What should we stop doing?

Things we can all learn from American Idol

2009-01-13T13:10:00.000-08:00

~~Only seven~~ Now almost ten years strong, American Idol is a reality show producer's dream come true: hire some "talent" to officiate finding new, fresh, "talent"; let the viewer decide the outcome of the talent show; charge advertisers through the nose to sell their stuff to the people watching and wishing they could be so lucky as to be humiliated in front of millions of viewers when they find out they just don't have the chops.

Just in case you think you're the next internationally-acclaimed talent du jour, here is a cautionary tale. Don't forget you don't need a stage in front of 44 million people to have influence.

Not everyone can sing/play in a band/produce a film/bake a cake and earn millions for it. Get over it.
Some people's talent is judging others' talent. Use your powers for good and not evil.
You can get by on name recognition alone, and not talent. But you may need plastic surgery to do it.
Sometimes the wisdom of the crowd speaks truer words than you do. Or sings them better.
Sometimes the wisdom of the crowds is nothing more than fickle lemmings who didn't like your outfit.
You won't always win. Show grace and aplomb; you may yet get that sweetheart deal.
Creativity can make or break you. Sometimes in the same moment. Own your decisions, whether the judges (or critics) love you or pan you.
People are fickle. They love you one week and hate you the next. Rise above.

Principles of breakthrough thinking

2009-01-13T00:00:00.000-08:00

Deconstructing the building blocks of applied innovation. Based on 50 years of study in the field of creativity.

Explore the Challenge - Clarify a problem or opportunity. Sift through the relevant data and context of a problem to highlight the essence.

This is the point at which you get all your assumptions out on the table. Also the point of root cause analysis.

One effective means of understanding your challenge, goal or problem is to perform a gap analysis:

Where do we want to be?
Where are we now?
What are all the things standing between our current reality and our desired future state?
Imagine the Possibilities - Consider all the possible ideas related to answering the challenge. Brainstorming is a technique most often used here.

If the best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas, then deferring judgment is key. That means, get all your ideas out, and determine their value later. Studies show the best (most novel) ideas come in the last 1/3 of ideas generated, so push yourself for more ideas.
Shape your Future - Select and strengthen the best ideas, develop them into a workable solution.

Filter: which ones stand out?
Evaluate: what do you like about the ideas you selected? What could you improve?
Prioritize: what do you see yourself doing now? What next? Who are the key stakeholders who must be on board?
Act! - Plan for action and implement. Set up a 30-60-90 day action plan and assign concrete tasks. Then execute on those tasks. Learn from your mistakes, but keep the ball in play. Test fast, fail fast, adjust fast.

Contingency planning is key. What could go wrong? What should we do if it does go wrong? Whose support do we need? How do we get it?
Iterate - It's not over yet. It's time to start the process all over again.

The process of applied innovation is not linear. Every step of the process can and should repeat, especially where there needs to be clarity and re-calibration.

Breakthrough thinking is as much a science as is any engineering field, so the key is discipline. The process, therefore, is only as intuitive as the practitioner.

Keep at it! Those we would consider innovative are the ones who have raised this science to an art.

Passive aggressive confrontation using social networking tools

2009-01-12T01:01:00.000-08:00

Inspired by a colleague lamenting excessively long meetings ...

Update your status on ping.fm: "I'm in a pointless meeting"
Twitter update: "On the count of three, let's all get up and say we have a conflict"
Email meeting etiquette guide to meeting invite list
Transcribe the meeting minutes in a blog post. Don't forget to insert commentary.
Call people out in Twitter for bad behavior without naming them. (hat tip to Nink)

Things we can all learn from Jack Bauer

2009-01-11T17:04:00.000-08:00

In case you live under a rock, or are just not from the U.S., Jack Bauer is America's favorite operative. And probably the only "spy" to whom liberals would sign away their civil rights.

What would Jack Bauer do?

Some rules were meant to be broken. You may have to ask forgiveness, and you certainly have to be willing to accept the consequences.
If you want to be successful, you probably have to get your hands dirty.
Having a sense of urgency helps you get results.
Some things are worth sacrificing your life to accomplish. (And maybe someone else's, too.)
People may never know your name, or what you did for them. Do it anyway.
There are causes we can and should devote our lives to that are greater than ourselves. What is your cause?

Things we can all learn from MC Hammer

2009-01-10T17:47:00.000-08:00

MC Hammer shows how resilience is a virtue:

Money isn't everything.
Sometimes you can trade on your name.
To be a cultural icon, one must have a trademark. Or maybe two.
Trailblazers are fueled by their dream. They are not put off by commentary or criticism.
We all need some help achieving our dreams.
Your legacy is what you make it.

Props to Gia Lyons for creative consulting and Jeff Coffee for the inspiration.

Principles of innovation

2009-01-09T00:00:00.000-08:00

A working definition of creativity: whatever is novel and useful (Stan Gryskiewicz).

A working definition of innovation: the intersection of invention and business insight.

In order to understand recursion, you must first understand recursion. - Some wise guy

What does innovation look like in your world?

How do you define it?

The creative process is universal.
How do you measure it?

It has discrete steps.
How do you replicate it?

The hardest part of enterprise innovation isn't creating the game-changing product or service.
How do you sustain it?

It's actually being the organization that can do so, again and again.
How do you scale it?

Instead of doing everything yourself, you need to build collaboration into your process, to constantly unlock new ideas.

IBM Metaverse in the News

2009-01-08T00:00:00.000-08:00

My team's charter is to develop applications for use inside our firewall that facilitate collaboration. Since ours is a global company, most of the focus is on remote collaboration. Experimenting with emerging technologies, such as the nascent virtual worlds field, is a big plus; especially if we can deliver value and change paradigms along the way.

All anyone really knew about virtual worlds at the time is they make social connections visceral and gaming is serious business. But how do you translate social connection into collaboration? How do you make an effective business play out of learning and gaming when your business is neither?

Turns out, it's not so easy. There are parallels to selling operating systems circa 1988 or the rise of web marketing and e-commerce a decade later. But the comparisons end there. Sure, there is an obvious discussion about open source, but who turns a profit (or generates revenue, for that matter) packaging content for open source software with the install media?

This is a service play all the way. And by service, think SOA. Virtual worlds bring people and creative thought to the dance; business needs to bring its data in droves. If there is money here, it is to be found in the extension of your organization's mission-critical data into an immersive (a mystical, intangible metric if ever there was one), highly contextualized, 3D environment.

Some of our virtual world development progress in the press (from late 2007/early 2008) sounds rather naive now, but the promise was there:

Slashdot - IBM Finding Business Uses for Virtual World
PC World - IBM Virtual World Defies Laws of Physics
EWeek - IBM Gulps Its Own Web 2.0 Kool-Aid
ZDNet - IBM cooks up internal virtual world for confidentiality, security
Network World (our team's foray into helping shape commercial strategy) - Lotus toying with Sametime features including virtual world meetings

When we started the project, OpenSim was still a twinkle in the Linden's eye, and Second Life was just starting to show its sex appeal to the masses. Since then we've (corporately) dabbled with Qwaq, ActiveWorlds, Forterra, Mycosm and Unity. There are probably more. Torque was the right choice (albeit a bit "Mr. Right Now" to Second Life monogamists), because it offered what no other platform did: cost-effective source code control and (minimal) documentation.

Two years later, it's still a grand experiment (it is also still funded). This year we offer dynamic meeting spaces, interactive tools for breakthrough thinking, 3D visualization of social networks and some very key intranet services that begin to show the promise of platform ubiquity. There is business value in them tha'r hills - and we will see it in 2009.

How to make a good idea great

2009-01-07T00:00:00.000-08:00

As a jiu-jitsu (kudos to carolinabigblue) to How to Kill an Idea ...

Rooney wisely points out there are a lot more raw ideas than good ones. That is because the context to an idea is key: all ideas are conceived in the context of some problem, challenge or opportunity space. So if you pose an idea to a domain expert, and the idea is weak (read, bad), you tend to find it runs aground. Quickly.

To successfully come up with good ideas, then, is not about finding a magic bullet. It is about understanding your problem space (context) and generating one or more ideas that effectively address that space. Conversely, when presented with an idea where you have greater contextual awareness than the idea's proponent, killing ideas simply because they are weak (again, bad) can actually diminish creative output, rather than encourage it.

Yes, Virginia, your value rises and falls on your delivery.

When asked how to maintain good behavior, teachers said it requires a 4:1 ratio of praise to criticism. To change behavior, they said, requires a ratio of 8:1. (When asked to assess their own praise-to-criticism ratio in the classroom, the ratio was inverted: 1:4.)

Praise First* is a tool to enhance convergent thinking (selecting and strengthing ideas from raw to refined). Use this after a brainstorming session when a number of ideas have been discussed and you are now beginning to evaluate the ones that stand out the most.

Positives - What are the good things about this idea? What about it works, sparkles, or stands head and shoulders over other ideas? Why is it a good idea?
Potential - Where could we go with this idea? How might it open up other opportunities? What are some ways we might be able to build on its promise?
Concerns - What holds this idea back? What about it needs to be strengthened to be a solid or irresistable solution?

Overcoming Concerns - How do we address concerns about the idea in order to implement it?

Try affirming someone's idea before you assess it. See if, in doing so, you show affirmation of the person as well - which is what they were really seeking from you in the first place.

* Praise First (aka, PPCO) is based on research by Roger Firestien, Jonathan Vehar and Blair Miller

Understanding Social Software

2009-01-06T00:00:00.000-08:00

There are a variety of social software applications, both commercially available and on the web, designed with different requirements for cultivating social networks. Placing them in context is critical to understanding their relative value for business:

Find - How do we locate / identify people who have expertise or knowledge we need? Who knows what we need to know?

How do we learn what we don't know but need to know if we don't know we need to know it?

Connect - How do we find out more about someone and begin to establish common personal, social or professional links with them?
Much of our social experience ends here. It is important, and necessary, to establish meaningful relationships with our colleagues. MySpace and Facebook are popular for just such a reason - they help us get to know people (sometimes in ways we would prefer not to).

When we know and respect people, we begin to forge a trust relationship that will lead to business value. It is at this point that leveraging social software takes on a much more critical role in advancing the goals of the business.
Collaborate - Interact, engage, exchange knowledge to the point of raising each other's awareness and skill levels.

Transform - build on interaction to yield meaningful work product. A continuation of collaboration.

Innovate - Turn work product into meaningful, sustainable, high impact outcomes for the organization or business at large.

Why "conventional" virtual worlds fail business

2009-01-05T01:01:00.000-08:00

IBM and other companies have made a great first foray into the virtual space. But virtual worlds have yet to prove their full potential business value.

Note the self-expression vs. value of context conversation fits.

Five reasons enterprise virtual worlds currently fall short with respect to business usage:

Real world redundant - Virtual worlds are almost exclusively "land on a grid": a 1:1 representation of the real world. We already have one of those, and we know enough people trade their first life in for their second one as an escape mechanism. And unless you work for MTV, that is hardly the kind of value your business cares about.

And if we already have one of those, you are taking up business people's valuable time. And if you are doing that, you are causing someone's business to become ...
Slow - Because they are redundant of the real world, one must traverse said world to find or engage others. If innovations in technology have taught us anything, it is that we want the world to be first person-centric: bring it all to me. Don't make me go find what you want me to see, or hear, or experience. Hand it to me, and do it fast. Such is the point of doing business in a 24x7 world: speed.

And a world not focused on me is ...
3rd-person focused - Everything about business systems is first-person. From your browser to your instant messaging and email, it's a very me-centric tech world we live in. Only the HUD in SL is first-person.

So you say, that's the point, stupid: real life isn't first-person. I say, it's still a pretty big paradigm shift for business people to get over. Especially if I can do everything I need to right now in a browser.

And if all you do is replicate the real world experience in a virtual world, it becomes ...
2D web redundant - What they tend to offer for content is already available, in a much more effective form, through a traditional, 2D web browser. Think Circuit City in 3D; it just doesn't resonate. Second to the social connection, the most compelling feature of a virtual world is its rendering capability. So the value is not specifically in turning a virtual space into a 3D web page.

And if someone is now trying to adopt a technology that doesn't help them do their job and they have to somehow get dressed up to use a redundant world, the process of making oneself presentable becomes a debate over ...
Abstraction or distraction - An imbalanced perception of the value of hyper-realistic (or super generic) avatars.

Q: what's the right balance?
A: somewhere between South Park and Polar Express, where there's enough self-expression to give people creative license (and investment), and not so much that it's fails to be business-relevant.

Be honest with yourself: how likely are you to do business in your avatar's current state of (un)dress? Until you can reconcile the two, I submit you are not addressing the potential of your virtual world of choice as a business platform.

Adoption is relative

2009-01-04T07:21:00.000-08:00

There is a fine line between business value and self-expression. Or perhaps a very deep and wide chasm.

And Mo effectively begins to articulate the problem (or opportunity) when explaining the relative virtues of a "create it as you go" virtual world vs. an off the shelf, retrofitted "first person shooter" gaming engine.

In a moment of frustration over my perceived SL bigotry (and longtime Second Lifers are nothing if not fiercely loyal to their world), I pointed out to Mo that one particular enterprise we are very familiar with has more than two platforms in use internally. In fact, said enterprise boasts no less than seven (7) internal virtual worlds, and maybe up to dozen. This underscores the point that the enterprise in question does not advocate one single virtual world; it advocates them all.

The debate we could have (and have had, and may yet behind our own firewall) is not over platform popularity. It is almost not even about adoption. It is over the relative merits of self-expression and business value. Mo and I share a common passion for seeing virtual worlds become adopted at the enterprise level because we both see the potential of the technology, much like we all did in the early days of the World Wide Web. Where we differ in professional opinion is a worthwhile case study.

Finding the right balance for your enterprise is the sole purpose of this discussion.

Adoption is not enough; it is a means to an end. Just as Netscape found its death grip on the web browsing market was not so lethal to Microsoft, whose Internet Explorer got out-Firefox'ed, who are finding its shine isn't Chrome ...

Google decimated Yahoo in the search wars because its automated, algorithmic search capability was vastly superior to Yahoo's internal user-recommended results. It won, essentially, on usability.

As we wait on OpenSim to become usable enough for the masses, enterprises may be forced to go along to get along. That is to say, some of Mo's points on adoption may very well be fueled by the successes and failures of other platform investment.

Credibility and cost: two sides of the same coin

To be credible, Mo says, one most be confident a technology will stick around. This is a slippery slope, because credibility is a function of cost and investment.

Cost is not the issue in 2009 that it was in 2006. This is in large part because Second Life gained credibility with subscriptions (how else do you fund all those new, free users?), which, in turn, gave way to an open source play. But OpenSim is accessible enough to the brave few who would have installed Linux on their computers when BSD was the closest thing to an industry standard.

That pesky ROI chestnut

In very crude Maslowian terms, show me funding and I will show you business value. The social software value proposition, then, is as much about business investment as it is user acceptance.

At the heart of the virtual worlds discussion is how you build community out of social context. Businesses historically try to quantify or ignore intangibles like creative expression and inclusive leadership, only to fall perpetual victim to the cold, hard realities of market share and profit and loss statements.

Forging a union between the undeniable, yet seeming unmeasurable need for social proximity, community building and creative outlet with the results-oriented needs of business is the flashpoint.

Things we can all learn from Brett Favre

2009-01-04T00:00:00.001-08:00

Brett Favre is high up on a very short list of all-time greatest NFL quarterbacks. And yet his re-instatement to the NFL, and the ensuing controversy, culminating in a trade to his new team holding great promise, only for their hopes to be dashed, was equally one for the books.

These are some takeaways that resonate with us all.

Even living legends are expendable.
You may control your own career destiny, but management still has a pretty significant say in the process.
If you make a commitment, stick to it.
If you change your mind, accept that there are consequences beyond your control.
Always leave off on a good note. You just never know whom you'll be working for next.
You can't succeed on your reputation alone.

Late additions:

It's hard to get out from under your own shadow.
Sometimes the pedestal we find ourselves on is just too seductive to step off.
Maybe Sandy Koufax, Jim Brown and Joe DiMaggio were on to something.

Best ways to kill an idea

2009-01-03T00:00:00.000-08:00

Surefire ways to crush, kill or otherwise choke the life out of any idea. Or, how to demoralize your peers.

Ignore it or its proponent. It might just die from lack of creative oxygen.
Criticize it. Nothing shuts people up better, or more quickly, than feeling marginalized.
List all the ways the idea is doomed to failure.
List all the reasons why it didn't work before, and therefore won't work now.
Call it a stupid idea. Which, by inference, means the person who came up with the idea is stupid too. That is what you meant, right?

Things we can all learn from OJ Simpson

2009-01-02T16:24:00.000-08:00

O.J. Simpson was a sports hero of mine, until about, oh, say ... 1994. I still did not believe he killed his wife, even after the verdict, but that may be due to a loyalty he has ultimately proved he did not deserve. I still feel a deep sense of grief for how his life has turned out.

Even living legends are fallible.
If you want to build a successful future, you cannot live in the past.
Working the system is not the same as having integrity.
Money and name recognition will not buy you character.
The first step toward recovery is admitting you have a problem.
What goes around comes around.

Other lessons learned in virtual worlds development

2009-01-02T00:00:00.000-08:00

Other basic lessons when developing an enterprise virtual world (for business):

Avatars matter - as far as connecting to a virtual world. Visual appeal yields visceral emotional responses, which are part and parcel of our emotional connections with others. Without this, virtual worlds are largely stale.

(And let's not even talk about the on-boarding time to get your avatar customized.)
Avatars don't matter - to the extent that once you have established a connection, you have a foundation on which to collaborate.
Content is king - There has to be something to do in a virtual world. Whether games, events, a maze ... there must be a draw to keep people coming back.
Context is key - The most effective virtual worlds are little more than contextual virtual spaces. The more context to a world, the more reason for someone to join and engage.
Value is subjective - socialization is the basis of the most popular virtual worlds. The necessity of business is to produce meaningful work product (innovation). Collaboration begins with socialization, but it never ends there. If you are only in it for the friendships, how much value are you adding to the business?

Lessons Learned in virtual worlds development

2009-01-01T14:46:00.000-08:00

My team has learned a number of valuable lessons in two years of virtual worlds development:

Resourcing is a strategic issue - The value of the virtual world platform is directly proportional to the resources invested in developing and deploying it. Or, if you want to do business effectively in a 3D space, you either need to have access to a good platform, or have some serious scratch to roll your own.

When we launched our development project in 2006, Second Life was not available for use behind a firewall. It wasn't available until this year. Very few platforms, in fact, were available for enterprise deployment at the time. And few offered source code. Torque was a good choice then, and remains a good choice now, given the following double-edged sword:

You can build your own environment. Having the source code for Torque allowed us to integrate our intranet login service on deployment. Go without a common login and see how necessary it is for everything else inside the enterprise.
You had better be committed. Retrofitting a first-person shooter game to be a social platform is no small feat.

Simplicity is a virtue - Second Life requires somewhere around four (4) hours of investment before people will stay in world. Our platform can on-board people in an hour. This includes 3000 avatar permutations, a dozen controls in a (very) simple user interface, and around a half-dozen core features in world (presentations, games, social networking visualization, dynamic meeting spaces, basic object / services integration) for hosting meetings and sparking collaborative discussion.

Context is everything - Or, as Roo Reynolds once said, "people don't go to a coffee shop to collaborate; they go there to have coffee." The value of a 3D environment is not the virtual world; it is the virtual space. The more real estate, the less value. Conversely, the more context, the more value.

One of the single largest barriers to virtual worlds adoption is the lack of contextual spaces. Sure, as a Second Life enthusiast, you may know how to get around because you have a long list of landmarks. But recall your first trip to Orientation Island, or sit with someone who has not broken the SL 4-hour barrier, and see how quick they are to figure out where the hot spots are in world. And only after they find them do they have to figure out what's worth doing. And who to talk to. And who is a colleague and who is not. It's a long way to collaboration in a wide open vista.

Business value is the holy grail - No one has been here before, attempting to deliver a virtual space for collaboration behind the firewall. The mushrooms of successful collaboration in a 3D space (or any other remote, synchronous technology, for that matter) are not clearly defined as edible or fatal. And someone must be the first to eat them. With Second Life enterprises are unable to share intellectual property or trade secrets, the coin of the realm for most businesses. So what works outside the firewall will not necessarily work inside, and vice versa.

So how do we define business value? The economic downturn is a boon, ironically. With travel severely curtailed, and green as the new innovation, offering a space in which we can collaborate remotely and worldwide is suddenly much more attractive. Anything that allows remote teams to be more effective than they are now by having a sense of social proximity and connection is a benefit. Hosting meetings - especially on the fly - is heading in the right direction. But we still need to figure out the free form paradigm (vast open spaces, no context, heavy dependence upon self-expression).

And as with all technologies, virtual meeting spaces are not the solution; they are just tools in search of a well facilitated process.

Creativity and Leadership quiz

2009-01-01T14:44:00.000-08:00

Here is a pop quiz from Dr. Michael Mumford from a presentation titled, "Creative Leaders: what do they do and what do they think about?":

How did you score? It should not prove surprising that innovation is the natural byproduct of a culture that promotes creative thinking in all of its diversity and rigor. And at the heart of this culture is a body of leaders who actively promote idea generation, systematic solution development, risk-taking and implementation.

Forming a team for innovation

2008-06-16T20:45:00.001-07:00

A colleague approached me in preparation for building a new innovation team. His question was, how do you manage a team in an organization charged with innovation?

So here is my initial checklist of what things you need to build and run a killer innovation team:

Know your stakeholders, know their expectations
Make a list of what assumptions your stakeholders hold, or at least the ones you need to have answered. You need to know who butters your bread, and the context for what your team does / will do. What do they care about? Why does your team exist in their eyes? What are their touchpoints for success?

Don't assume they stay the same; assume you need a levelset annually or better.
Define / Clarify / re-iterate your charter
Charter here means purpose and mission. Why do you exist? How do you know you are succeeding? This is your team's mantra.
Publicize / educate your organization on the value proposition of your team
What is the tangible value your team delivers to the organization? What are the qualifiers your food chain uses to define this value? And how might you seize on those definitions as a replacement for such an over-used term as innovation?
Document your metrics for success
Ah, numbers: here is where you articulate your charter's mission was achieved in some way (think ROI). Compare all your goals to these metrics when it comes time to prioritize resources and projects. And compare all your results the same way.
Plan for risks
Startups are risky ventures. Have contingency plans ready to go when your results don't measure up to your goals.
Win fast (or Innovate Quick)
Let small, manageable wins add up to bigger ones over time. Try to change a small part of the world every 3-6 weeks.

And be sure to document wins to your stakeholders!

Defer This

2005-03-25T12:43:00.000-08:00

The notion of deferring judgement is a highly underrated, extremely powerful tool in the change leader's toolkit. It is also highly underutilized.

It works something like this:

What if I were to refrain from censoring my own ideas long enough to inventory my options? (personal application)
What if I were mature enough to not need to hear my own voice in response to someone blathering inanely about things of which they clearly know nothing? (interpersonal application)

We all succumb to any number of self-inhibitors when trying to think up novel ideas. Sometimes the inhibitors are so strong, we don't even try to think; it is a struggle merely to be. the shame of it is, a nation of survivors does little to innovate, grow, or enhance the culture around us; much less cultivate our own personal mental space.

Statistics indicate most children are creative until they reach kindegarten or 1st grade. The corollary statistic says most adults are no longer creative. The ratio is something as obscene as 85:15.

The conundrum of processing judgement instantly rather than deferring it for a time is that we fear we will not be heard, or that we are somehow inviting others to walk all over us and our ideas as though we were a doormat. So we choose the path of pre-emptive verbal strikes. Typically long-winded and varying in degrees of "on-topic", they help us scope out our territory, be heard (or at least be verbal, if not simply be loud), and prevent others from taking all the credit for an idea that is not our own. Or, at least, prevent them from poking holes in our thoughts because they are too busy holding their breath, attempting to get a #$*!$&!! word in at all.

This doctrine works equally well when talking ourselves out of an idea. Note the irony of an original thought being crowded out by our habitual mental defenses. For demonstration purposes, when was the last time you had a novel, potentially useful idea (can you recall when that was?)? What was your first mental or verbal response to it: positive or negative? What about the last time you responded to someone else's original thought?

Studies further show students require a praise-to-criticism ratio of 4:1 just to maintain current behavior. To actually alter (read, improve) it, the ratio shoots up to 8:1.

Conclusion: we are far more likely to be negative than positive. Negative, judgemental thought is habitual to the point of going unnoticed in us. The routine of crushing, killing, stomping out or otherwise destroying others' ideas will do that to a person, because we are so used to having our own novel thoughts crushed, killed, stomped out or otherwise destroyed.

But the downward spiral can be broken. What if we were to routinely withhold judgement of another's bad idea or our own stupid thought? imagine if we habitually graced others with our silence when we have no business speaking ...

Change leaders bear an extra burden to turn the tides of meaningful change on behalf of those they wish to lead.

Principles of Change Initiatives

2005-03-21T10:13:00.000-08:00

I recently reviewed a change project assignment for my graudate studies, and found several key learnings that have very good general crossover appeal for any manner of organization seeking to spark meaningful change.

Professional courtesy and mutual respect engenders collaboration

This has little to do with liking a person. When you let someone know you do not like them, they have won. So when implementing change initiatives, respect must be genuine irrespective of mutual regard. So it is that when there is a preexisting relationship between two parties, especially a positive one that has been cultivated over time, introducing the other person to change (or requesting a commitment from them) is much easier to accomplish.
Never underestimate the power of a coffee break

Even a seemingly token gesture of buying someone a cup of coffee is meaningful. Because such coffee breaks assume (and require) more personal interaction than involuntary encounters, a person taking such initiative can develop greater influence with that person. Making the time to connect with someone, even at a level that appears (or even when it is) trivial, speaks volumes to the recipient. This is never more true than when the initiator has no agenda.
An effective leader needs to be true to his or her word

When you say you want to meet, you need to follow up!
One must be consistent to be credible

When you set a timetable, you need to show up!
Do not let momentum falter

There is an almost inverse relationship between entropy and momentum. As change initiatives begin, the effort needed to overcome inertia (or resistance) is significant, relative to when momentum begins to build. The greater the resistance was to change, the more critical the need for sustaining momentum and achieving "wins".
There is little one can accomplish within a change-resistant environment that having executive support won’t help overcome

If rewards for change are the proverbial carrot, then invoking executives' names in support of the change is the stick. That is to say, key assisters are crucial to successful implementation of a change initiative. When members of a change initiative are able to cut through bureaucracy and red tape by dropping the name of their executive champion, odds of success increase dramatically as resistance to change decreases.

Note the inverse relationship between morale and forcing change down followers' throats. While executive support can grease the wheels, if used liberally, it can also foster resentment.
People’s openness to change is an almost unquantifiable variable
To assume change opportunities ripen at a similar rate for two different people, or that two different people ripen to new ideas at the same time, is to open the door to failure, at worst, or to damage your relationship with a slow ripener, at best.

A look at heroism

2004-09-23T06:31:00.000-07:00

There are heroes and there are superheroes. Then there are coaches.

Heroes make things happen that others cannot. Superheroes make things happen that others will not. And coaches equip others to do what they should.

Characteristics of heroes:

Get things done others cannot
Lighten others' workloads
Is generally recognized as a "go-to" person

Characteristics of superheroes:

Insist on carrying out workloads of others, or feel they must do what others cannot
Can suffer from Key Man Syndrome

If this sounds like your organization, it's not time for new heroes; it's time for some serious change leaders.

Primal Leadership Styles

2004-06-05T20:56:00.000-07:00

Ultimately it is all about the results. If you cannot show bottom line value, the resistance you will likely encounter to either your credibility — or your checkbook — when it comes time to ask for a budget increase could be significant.

The business case for driving results through effective leadership is compelling: the primal leadership model does, in fact, demonstrate how leadership styles affect behavior, which in turn affect results.

The six leadership styles, as discussed by Goleman, reflect the varying nature of leadership, based on the environment and the business climate. Although there is no “wrong” style, several are far more effective over time than others.

The styles are as encapsulated as follows:

Commanding: “Do as I say.”
Visionary: “Come with me.”
Affiliative: “People come first.”
Democratic: “We all have an equal voice.”
Pacesetting: “I set high standards.”
Coaching: “Personal development is key.”

Knowing your team, the business climate, and the current situation takes emotional intelligence. To resonate in any circumstance requires a fluency of leadership style.

Don't get hijacked!

2004-06-03T20:35:00.000-07:00

One of the easiest ways to evaluate your emotional intelligence is to record your emotional hijacking frequency.

To be emotionally hijacked is to allow emotion to overwhelm common sense and rational thinking. Stemming from our “fight or flight” instincts, the amygdala is ever vigilant for danger. Because a hijacking essentially causes a person to act without thinking, many who experience it are later heard to say they had no idea what came over them.

When the amygdala encounters a conflict brewing, it triggers a rush of adrenaline that floods the central nervous system. This adrenaline flow causes us to respond before we have time to evaluate the context of the request, and override when necessary.

Although the nervous system is programmed to respond to danger with little or no inter-neural communication, preventing hijacks
before they occur is both possible and learnable. Bringing out conscious thought to accompany unconscious feeling is the pathway to self-awareness.

Goleman refers to such hijacks as depression, radical mood swings, rage and anxiety attacks as toxic emotions. He further cites evidence of their damaging consequences to our general well-being and physiological health. Having the presence of mind to recognize and monitor our emotions as they attempt to disrupt our work and personal lives is the first step toward self-awareness. And it is the foundation for effective emotional intelligence.

If mamma ain't happy ... ain't no one happy

2004-06-02T20:21:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder how this aphorism can be so spot on accurate? Studies in neuroanatomy show a significant correlation between the emotions we feel and how we interrelate with others. One sure sign of successful emotional interaction is how well we find ourselves “in sync” with others. The reverse is equally true, as we know from Mama: we can be just as receptive to cold pricklies as we can to warm fuzzies.

Researchers call this phenomenon “mirroring” — or mimicking others’ emotional patterns. And although it certainly occurs during friendly, positive interaction with others, this tendency is far more commonplace (or at least visible) when interpersonal conflicts flare up.

The common denominator in how we receive and respond to the vibes around us is the “open loop” nature of our limbic system. Unlike the circulatory system, which is self-regulating, Goleman says our emotional centers require input from (and output to) external sources.

Translation: we not only feed off others’ energy, it is a requisite for psychological well-being. Goleman goes on to say we rely on connections with other people for our own emotional stability. This can manifest itself in taking on another person’s sour attitude, or feeling more lighthearted when someone laughs. Studies further show we tend to “norm” with those around us very quickly: from within minutes of encountering strangers to up to two hours within team interactions. Finally, mirroring is not a phenomenon limited to our vocabulary; we are just as prone to emotionally mirror someone nonverbally (including, but not limited to body language) as we are from hearing their vocal inflections.

A key learning for the EI leader, then, is to recognize the vibes each individual in a team brings to bear with it. Positive environmental attenuation, or vibes that make people feel good about themselves and their work and bring out their best, Goleman refers to as resonance. The opposite is negative feelings, or lack of harmony, which Goleman refers to as dissonance. The goal then becomes to reinforce a positive work environment with appropriate levels of positive affirmation.

So the next time you find yourself asking, “what’s eating Mom?”, you’ll know why it might have started eating at you too.

EI: The critical link

2004-06-01T18:10:00.000-07:00

“The fight is won or lost far away from the witnesses, behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights.” - Muhammad Ali

In the midst of an economic upswing, never has the need for emotionally connecting with those who follow us to lead them to higher vistas been more important than in the hyper paced marketplace of the 21st century. As we witness a cautious growth cycle beginning to take hold, companies who once hired with the promise of lucrative stock options alone are finding it increasingly difficult to attract and retain top talent based on financial rewards alone.

Although there is an increasing shortage of technical talent, top free agents will no longer flock strictly to where the money “is.” As talented individuals find they can work anywhere, for anyone, for essentially the same (competitive) wage, the differentiating factor now is much more about climate, or, “what’s in for me?”

There is a certain economic vindication to the rise of free agents in business. To be sure, the economies of scale are dramatically lower than those of the average sports franchise. But for the discriminating professional, there remains sufficient opportunity to be deliberate about choosing that next career step.

There is a business case to be made not only for attracting and retaining top talent, but also for getting results once you have landed them. Knowing how to recruit, then place people in the right positions to excel and drive successful business returns, is all about knowing first what makes a person tick, then understanding how best to integrate their skills, talents and goals into the greater organizational value proposition.

Put another way, to effectively capture the heart and mind of the free agent, a leader must know what motivates them. It is Goleman’s notion that successful people are primarily empathic that makes his body of work so compelling: without a firm emotional foundation, people can neither grow nor be creative in their own right.

The EI Model

2004-05-31T21:21:00.000-07:00

Emotional Self-Awareness

Improvement in recognizing and naming own emotions
Better able to understand the causes of feelings
Recognizing the difference between feelings and actions

Managing Emotions

Better frustration tolerance and anger management
Fewer verbal put-downs, fights, and classroom disruption
Better able to express anger appropriately, without fighting
Less aggressive or self-destructive behavior
More positive feelings about self, school, and family
Better at handling stress
Less loneliness and social anxiety

Harnessing Emotions Productively

Better able to take another person's perspective
Improved empathy and sensitivity to others' feelings

Handling Relationships

Increased ability to analyze and understand relationships
Better at resolving conflicts and negotiating disagreements
Better at solving problems in relationships
More assertive and skilled at communicating
More popular and outgoing; friendly and involved with peers
More concerned and considerate
More "pro-social" and harmonious in groups
More sharing, cooperation, and helpfulness
More democratic in dealing with others

The EI competencies

2004-05-31T21:16:00.000-07:00

How we manage ourselves

Self-Awareness: Emotional self-awareness; Accurate self-assessment; Self-confidence
Self-Management: Self-control; Transparency; Adaptability; Achievement; Initiative; Optimism

How we approach relationships

Social Awareness: Empathy; Organizational awareness; Service
Relationship Management: Inspiration; Influence; Developing others; Change catalyst; Conflict management; Teamwork & collaboration

Why EI matters

2004-05-30T16:32:00.000-07:00

Book Review

Aristotle observed, “Anyone can become angry — that is easy. But to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose, in the right way — this is not easy.”

What is it about some people we encounter, who have wonderful technical skills and abilities, but lack basic social skills? Why does it seem so few understand — or take heed to — Aristotle’s admonishment?

Such are the questions Daniel Goleman seeks to answer in his landmark, Emotional Intelligence. Beginning with Aristotle’s challenge to the masses, Goleman proceeds on a journey into self, to explore our unconscious and find there the hidden answers to some of what Goleman refers to as life’s most perplexing moments. The journey, Goleman says, is to understand what it means to bring intelligence to emotions. Along the way, Goleman sets out to equip us to face our own inner toxic emotional demons. Using insightful stories of real life emotional “hijackings” and plumbing the depths of human empathy, Goleman points out the habit patterns that ensnare us in emotional illiteracy.

Uniting cutting edge research into the neurological function of the brain with well-known psychology findings, Dr. Goleman sheds light on how human emotions can negatively affect our own well-being and that of those with whom we interact.

This book is a fabulous extension of Dale Carnegie’s classic on winning friends and influencing people: it is chock full of useful data and anecdotes that draw out the intrinsic value of knowing thyself and how it affects the world around us.

The neuroanatomy of EI

2004-05-29T16:39:00.000-07:00

Daniel Goleman contends that there are very good scientific explanations for humans’ ability to manage our emotions intelligently. Studies of the neuroanatomy of the brain reveal very compelling insights into how the higher and lower regions of the brain function, and how it affects our social interactions.

In simple terms, the brain stem controls our basic survival modalities, or our “fight or flight” mechanism. The higher level functions of feeling originate in the limbic region, while the highest level of thinking —abstract thought and reasoning— occurs in the neocortex.

Buried deep in the limbic region are two critical components of the neuroanatomy, the hippocampus and the amygdala, both of which are central to EI. The hippocampus essentially stores memories, while the amygdala maintains the emotions associated with those memories. As Goleman relates their purpose in this analogy: “The hippocampus registers that your cousin just arrived; the amygdala reminds you that you don’t like her.”

This is not a hard and fast, 1:1 correlation, however, as memories can trip old feelings and emotions that, according to Goleman, may have been stored at too early of an age to recall (or have processed) the context in which they were experienced.An effect of this fluid association of memory and emotion is what Goleman calls an emotional hijacking. When a circumstance causes our emotions to overwhelm our rational thought processes, Goleman says, that is a hearkening back to a more instinctive physiological response to hostility—a fight or flight mechanism. The first key to EI is to recognize such triggers, or to be emotionally self-aware, and allow our rational mind to diffuse the emotion of a moment, referred to as emotional self-management. Taken together, these two actions comprise the personal competencies of Emotional Intelligence.

The next level of EI is known as the social competencies. That is, to have a social awareness (also known as empathy), or understanding of others’ feelings and emotions, followed by relationship management, or knowing how to respond to the aforementioned feelings in others. As a whole, these four disciplines represent the ability to manage one’s emotions and interaction with others (and their respective emotions) in healthy, productive ways.

Within the context of primal leadership, the ability to leverage one’s emotional self-awareness and respond empathically to others is key to motivating followers to respond in positive, self-affirming ways that resonate in their hearts and minds.

That is to say, EI leaders recognize what drives their people from within, and they connect with that emotional reservoir to provide value both to the follower and the organization at large. Because there is no externally motivating factor that taps a follower’s inner drive, EI leaders are only successful in leading when they identify with their people’s internal passion.

Emotional Intelligence and the Primal Leader

2004-05-28T16:31:00.000-07:00

Book Review

Perhaps never before in history has it been more important for leaders to emotionally connect with those they lead. Further, it is critical to any organization’s long term success that a leader not only connect with her followers, but also develop her respective charges into leaders in their own right.

Such is the crux of Daniel Goleman’s thesis in Primal Leadership: In order to succeed, an organization (although he speaks specifically to business, the model can be extended) must achieve measurable results. These are only as “good”, over time, as the teams that produce them, and those teams must, in order to produce at continually high levels, serve within a climate that induces them to continue to succeed.

Climate, Goleman posits, is only as conducive to engendering continued results and high morale as an effective leader imbues it with those qualities. And the leader does it, he argues, through highly attuned levels of Emotional Intelligence.

The model, then, as adopted by such notable organizations as IBM, is this: EI drives leadership styles, which drive climate, which drives behavior, which drives results. The most effective organizations are those that are led by highly EI leaders who can adapt to and influence the environment with their leadership styles.

Dr. Goleman builds on this model with a list of specific leadership styles (which he interchangeably refers to as competencies) that comprise the repertoire of effective EI leadership. Goleman goes on to illustrate how the effective primal leader employs them to bring out the best in every team member.

Great leadership works through the emotions

2004-05-27T16:44:00.000-07:00

Important Emotional Intelligence (EI) Terms

EI: Emotional Intelligence / Emotionally Intelligent
EQ: EI Quotient
Primal: A leader to whom others look for assurance when facing a threat or uncertainty
Resonance: Driving positive emotions that bring out everyone’s best
Dissonance: Lack of harmony
Hijack: Allowing impulsive feeling to overrule rational behavior

Team Leadership - Rogue Warrior Style

2004-03-09T21:53:00.000-08:00

From Richard Marcinko's book on teamwork and success

It's the mission, stupid - Be clear and precise in defining your goals & objectives
Get the numbers straight - It's about time and money. Ask for what you want, but know what you really need.
Cover all positions - Determine what skills your operations will need; do not leave any holes. Surround yourself with talent.

Keep your hands off! - Trust your people to do their jobs. Micromanaging leads to screwups.
Know your people - they are not machines. Know their strengths and weaknesses, and what goes on behind the scenes that might affect their performance.
Welcome mistakes - Capitalize on opportunities to improve team performance.
Shut up and listen - Encourage your team to contribute to problem solving. Support what they create. Clear communication requires two-way signal flow.
Share the wealth - Reward your team when they do well.
Eat the pain - Take on responsibility as a team leader. Loyalty is a two-way street.

Hard truths about change initiatives

2003-05-10T20:01:00.000-07:00

Meaningful change is hard work. Bringing vision to an organization is no small task. Because change is such an essential part of growth, it is important to know the what and why change.

Here then is a short list of key components to bringing effective change:

It's all about you - if you can't communicate the need for change, you will be hard pressed to implement it
It's not about you - people have to want to change; it is about tapping into one's internal motivations
Without a vision the people perish - if they can't see it, they won't believe it
You must train them or trade them - equip them or let them go
Change initiatives take time - small wins develop momentum, and help get you to the big goals. Further, the "big goals" must be broken down into small, measurable, tangible milestones to be adopted and integrated into the culture
Change initiatives require a change in perspective - first the change agent, then the team, have to see things from another view to fully appreciate the need for change
Change initiatives require people skills - emotional intelligence is key

Meaningful change is not easy! It insists upon ruthless dedication. And it demands commitment from all parties to be successful.

But meaningful change is possible. Change is inescapable. It is inevitable, even in stagnant organizations. And when one embraces meaningful change, growth comes along for the ride. Ownership, commitment and investment are the calling cards of successful change and inevitable growth that results.

Test your leadership resolve

2002-12-24T16:19:00.000-08:00

So you want to be a leader? Or have a team member who wants to take on more of a leadership role? Here is a set of important questions every aspiring leader should ask him or herself before taking on the responsibility of leading:

Why do you want to be in leadership?
What are your intentions?
What are your expectations?
Are you prepared to handle criticism? How will you respond?
How do you plan to engage the unresponsive?

The test of a history maker

2002-12-09T16:22:00.000-08:00

Are you a history maker? Take this short survey and assess yourself:

I have a confidence (not arrogance) in my self-worth, regardless of my role in the organization. (y/n)
I am not satisfied with the status quo: I ask why and what if questions. (y/n)
I have an unquenchable desire to learn and grow. (y/n)
I have a strong desire to add value to others. (y/n)

Don't drop the ball!

2002-12-01T22:29:00.000-08:00

The St. Louis Rams were a disappointing 10-6 in 2000, the year after they went 14-2 in the regular season and won the Super Bowl by a yard. They have also struggled as a team since their second Super Bowl in 2001 for a number of good reasons, and most, if not all, of them can be summed up as complacency. When a team becomes complacent, stagnation follows, and other teams or organizations can quickly take advantage.

Here are several key factors in how the Rams lost their season:

Believed their own press. Never buy into favorable feedback. Let it buoy you, but never let it affect your decision-making process. The Rams knew they had a lightning fast receiver corps, and they allowed the hype surrounding "The Greatest Show on Turf" to cloud their discipline. Smart leaders know they are good, but they also know they are not that good. No one is as good or as bad as their best fan or worst critic would suggest.

Assumed superiority (or inferiority). Never believe you are better than you really are: there is no room for ego. Conversely, there is also no room in leadership for low self-confidence. Never assume, and always challenge yourself: how can I do better? What can I do to improve?

Lack of focus. This can also be lots of focus, or micromanagement. When there is either no clear objective, or focus is too tightly linked to a specific initiative, an organization can falter. The Rams stumbled by emphasizing the pass over the run; neglecting the running game cost them wins, and jeopardized momentum.

Loss of focus is closely associated with a lack of discipline. When teams compromise on preparation, their execution suffers: targets and milestones slip, teams become reactive and blameshift. Because morale is closely associated with clarity, losing focus can be the deathknell of progress.

Loss of confidence. This can also be lots of confidence, which leads to believing one's own press, arrogance, and lack of focus, causing a downard spiral. And a team without confidence is generally in a no-win situation. People sense fear -- and arrogance -- instictively, and are quick to withhold support, which kills teams.

For more on arrogance coupled with improper or intense focus, see the discussion on Key Man Syndrome.

Role of the leader

2002-11-24T16:16:00.000-08:00

Announce strategy - reinforce basis of authority
Build relationships - model mutual respect
Cast vision - provide future direction
Develop commitments - cultivate organizational buy-in

PPCO / Praise First

2002-11-22T16:01:00.000-08:00

PPCO / Praise First is a tool to enhance convergent thinking. Use this after a brainstorming session when a number of ideas have been discussed and you are now beginning to evaluate the ones that stand out the most.

Positives - What are the good things about this idea? What about it works, sparkles, or stands head and shoulders over other ideas? Why is it a good idea?
Potential - Where could we go with this idea? How might it open up other opportunities? What are some ways we might be able to build on its promise?
Concerns - What holds this idea back? What about it needs to be strengthened to be a solid or irresistable solution?
Overcoming Concerns - How do we address concerns about the idea in order to implement it?

Three keys to success

2002-11-18T23:01:00.000-08:00

From an executive of a well-known corporation

Nurture your differentiators. Know what makes you unique, and leverage it. Build on those strengths, and draw distinction from them.

Cultivate your networks. It is still all about whom you know, but true leadership is not about politics: it is about knowing how to find who knows what you need to know.
Take risks! Pick your favorite adage: Grow or die. Let go of the tree trunk and grab the fruit at the end of the limb. You miss 100% of the shots you never take. Regardless, it's about extending yourself in ways others will not, and finding success in the process.

Acid tests of leadership

2002-10-27T15:46:00.000-08:00

Am I inspiring others within my sphere of influence? In what ways?
How effectively?
Am I challenging others to grow or change?
Am I sold out to the mission? What is the mission?
Who needs my support? What people on my team need me to come alongside them and give them recognition?
How clear is my team on their roles and goals?
Do I know how much my organizational success is subverted when I don't do my part?

Paradigms of communication

2002-10-13T06:26:00.000-07:00

Communication is nothing more than influence. How we communicate can have a profound effect on the way we influence others around us.

Keys to communicating effectively:

Communicate based on common knowledge - Common sense is not common to everyone. Relaying a common heritage builds a foundation between you and the listener that gives you credibility.
Bridge the past to the present - This is another way of saying identify with the listener. Mutual identity brings out positive growth.
Pose questions - do not accept status quo; challenge your listener to think.
Make connections to the others' way of thinking - be relatable to your audience. Know their culture and be able to connect in ways that resonate with the listener.
Supporting research is your friend -- use empirical data as a tool, not (just) a weapon. Let the experts in a given field do the heavy lifting for you, and then apply it to your own circumstances.

Positive affects of persuasion:

Clarity of purpose - Knowing the "what" or the "why" gives direction and understanding.
Orientation to mobility - when listeners clearly understand a concept, task or initiative, they are naturally biased toward action.
Repeatability - If your team knows what is expected of them, and they do it, the momentum will be irresistable to others.

On career success

2002-10-11T22:23:00.000-07:00

From an executive of a well-known corporation

Important things to know:

Others' perceptions of my skills
How I respond to feedback

Potential signs of dissatisfaction:

Lack of creativity
Lack of energy
Lack of focus / boredom

Keep a running tasklist of what is important!

What I like to do
What I am good at
"Picking up rocks"

Maintain a relentless focus -- If I'm good at something, don't give up at it.

Key Man Syndrome

2002-10-07T22:06:00.000-07:00

Key Man Syndrome is about being more focused on territory than results. It is an attitude deficiency in which the "key man" believes he or she is so vital to the outcome of a specific function that it cannot occur without them. But as one manager liked to say to his staff to proactively debunk this myth: "an axe handle is made from an ordinary piece of wood."

Translation: people are necessary, but specific people are not indispensible. The corollary, as all good leaders know, is to treat people as if they were indispensible, and they become far more valuable, and far less likely to become barriers to team success.

Some Key Man symptoms:

The role defines the person
The goal is secondary to the role
Turf-sensitivity
"If I don't do it ..."
It's about them
Person's identity is unnaturally linked to a position, function or title
Person hoards power
Person never delegates - to their detriment
Sees him or herself as a superhero, not a coach
High stress levels
Moodiness
Hostility to change

The law of depth

2002-08-27T18:51:00.000-07:00

"It's difficult to be a leader off the bench because you have to be able to produce something." - Charlie Steiner

History maker or history major?

2002-08-18T18:39:00.000-07:00

Characteristics of history makers:

Choice
Recognize the value in history - learn from it
Do not be satisfied with the status quo
Just do it

Characteristics of history majors:

Complaining
Resistant to change
Citing tradition - "this is the way we've always done it"
Making excuses
Believing the best days have passed the organization by
Routine
Not dissatisfied enough

Process & Structure

2002-08-04T18:23:00.000-07:00

Adapted from John Maxwell

Leadership determines the direction of an organization - measures direction
Structure determines the size of an organization - affects growth potential
Relationships determine the morale of an organization - teamwork barometer
People determine the potential of an organization

Five Key Skills

2002-06-17T18:12:00.000-07:00

Taken from Leaders, by Nanus & Bennis

Ability to accept people as they are, not as you'd like them to be.
Capacity to approach relationships and problems in terms of the present rather than the past.
Ability to treat those close to you with the same courteous attention as strangers.
Ability to trust others even if the risk seems great.
Ability to do without constant approval and recognition from others.

The first rule of leadership

2002-06-05T21:43:00.000-07:00

"Everything is your fault." - Hopper

The key to effective leadership

2002-06-01T20:59:00.000-07:00

You've got to see it to believe it.

It all starts with a vision. A way things ought to be, a way they can be. It is what inspires you.

It's what inspires every great leader.

To connect.

That's where you need more than management skills: you need effective leadership. And here is the key:

Leadership is communication in action.

Developing an effective leadership style requires commitment. It means you have to hone your technique. Cultivate your uniqueness. Being a people person is essential.

Effective leadership is as much an art as it is a science; it is the union of the visceral with the mechanical; words and images made active.

Effective leadership is not bound by a perpetual slavery to the tyranny of the urgent. It is proactive and intentional.

Effective leadership influences and inspires others to dream your dreams and share the journey to realization with you.

Share your dreams and visions. Inspire others. Model the way.