Monthly Archives: February 2016

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Being the future

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“Today I seek tommorow before yielding to yesterday.  ” – S. Kerr (famous blogger)

In the english language the moment can be described before it occurs (tommorow), while it is happening (today)and after it is gone (yesterday)

I wonder if it is possible to live the present as if it was the future.  While this sounds like a strange concept, I think the practice of this idea can lead to interesting results.  In fact the proposal is a methodology we can employ in support of taking control of our own destiny.

Thinking ahead – acting in sync

Imagine a moment of peacefull relaxation in your favorite chair, reading an absorbing book, sipping a fine wine.  Visualize the future moment and concurrently transform it to a present act. Suddenly you are living the future you planned.

There is no question this post is about a philosophical idea.  This is more of a conceptual approach to managing your time than it is anything else.

In traditional thinking the past is out of your control, it is done and cannot be changed.  The future is coming but outside your control until it arrives.

Seeking to own the future

The future is your destiny.  You own it, it is yours to drive and yours to shape.  The present can become your future through you clearly knowing what it is, how it is achieved and what you need to do in the moment to get there.

So “carpe diem”, seize the day, it’s both your now and your future.

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Just the facts please

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Presentations come in a wide variety of formats but the purpose and objective is singular.  Presentations are a one way exchange of information.

The Dark Ages

When I first started giving presentations in organizational settings (more than 35 years ago) it began as stand and talk, with maybe some models or posterboard representations to support the topic.

This quickly evolved to where state of the art was photocopying from a document onto acetates and projecting to a screen with an overhead projector.   Later you could also write on the acetate using a dry erase marker during the presentation making it a bit more lively.

Meeting/ presentation rooms began to be equiped with white boards and you could use these.  Flip charts became a popular replacement for pre-prepared poster boards and still today I see this approach used by more mature presentors (not because its good, just because they are living in the past – some people have trouble keeping up with the times).

Modern Lazy Man Presentations

Presentation software, digital projectors (there was a point where I used to lug one around with me) and now more commonly smart TV’s have become the norm.  You can whip up a presentations with ornate graphics, video and sound in literally just minutes.

Unfortunately the ease associated with the current tool set has contributed to a severe drop inthe quality of the presentations.

Often these days we just get to see a talking head reading the text which is on the powerpoint slides they are showing.  I feel like shouting, “I can read, you don’t need to read it to me”.

Some Suggestions

First, remember presentations are one way information exchanges.  You may allow clarification questions but if you want a discussion there are many other far more appropriate forums (workshops, seminars, meetings, etc).

If the audience is bored you are not meeting your objective, as a general rule bored people don’t absorb information.  In these cases while you may have droned on, or read slides, it’s likely very little information was actually passed along.

To avoid boredom use the accompanying exhibits to grab attention. For example in the middle of a series of slides insert a picture of a horse -for no reason other than to get the audiences attention.  Basically a random act, humor works as well.

My final advise is to pay attention to your audience.  It is really easy to tell if people are engaged and frankly if they are not, and you have no attention getters left, then just give up.   Wrap up the presentation and say goodbye.  Believe it or not I do this regularly, I have little patience for wasting time and if the audience is not receptive whats the point?

 

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Your emotional intelligence quotient (EQ)

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Many people are familiar with an intelligence test to determine your intelligence quotient (IQ).  Some say this is related to how smart you are.  Although it could be just a measure of how good you are at tests

Those that are truly smart avoid tests.  Now that is a demonstration of high IQ behavior if you ask me.

What is EQ

It has been postulated that to rise to leadership roles in an organization (e.g. Corporate, Political or Educational) the level of intelligence (IQ) sets the price of entry but your level of emotional intelligence (sometimes equated to maturity) determines how effective a leader you are and the maximum  amount of EQ is needed if you expect to rise to the highest level of leadership.

Emotional intelligence is directly determined by your behavior.  Specifically how you react in a specific situation.  For example, when under great stress or when being critcized.  Additionally, you are keenly aware of yourself, how you are feeling and thinking, to the extent you can fully control your behaviour at any point in time, ensuring the best choices rather than those that might be driven by emotional overrides.

Can I measure it?

There are self tests available but often the answers that will lead to assesment of a high EQ (ie the right answers) are readily apparent.

The best measure is independent feedback.  This is best when be provided by anonymous surveys managed by an independent party.  The questions are carefully crafted and then interpreted and scored.  In essence this method tells you how others view your level of EQ, which by the very nature of what EQ represents is all that really matters.

What is even more fun is when you complete the survey as well as others who know and interact with you regularly.  Then compare results. Basically a disconnect between what you think of yourselve and what others think of you is usually a clue.

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Pet Peeve – Passive Aggressive

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There are a number of broad descriptives for basic simple behavior.  I am thinking of things like; angry, sulky, petulant, opinionated, obstenante, vain and so on.

Becoming Frustrated

For me the most frustrating behavior type is passive-aggressive.   Regardless of whether its a personal or organizational context this is the most destructive and difficult behavior to deal with.

Well it can be challenging there are a number of options to defuse, redirect and otherwise collaberate with others to turn less pleasant behaviors around.

For example if someone is behaving angrily remain calm, don’t get hooked.  Often this approach can defuse a potentially difficult scenario.

I could build on this example with many other behavior types, including other ways to defuse anger but my focus on this post is a bit of a rant about the passive-aggressive.

For passive-aggresive I find it much harder to deal with effectively, ending in a positive result for all.

What is Passive-Agressive Behavior

First you agree with a request, plan, direction;then you work actively and agressively to undermine and foil the objective.  In essence the approach makes it seem like you are supportive when in fact you are anything but.

Of course this is a great way to avoid work or undermine a cause while appearing helpful.  With this approach there is no need to directly defend or to argue a point.  Rather it seems like you are onside and it is only after you have put a monkey wrench in the works that the truth comes out.

Most Surprising

Usually passive-aggressive approaches are shut down after the third or forth try.  The requestor becomes aware of this underlying behavior and guards against it. On the first occurrence you might be tricked, but like the old proverb “trick me once shame on you, trick me twice shame on me” applies.

I am never ceased to be amazed at the number of organizations I have been involved with where one or two individuals  continually practice passive-aggressive behavior without consequence.

B

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Family Day

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Four provinces in Canada have an official statutory holiday called family day.   The Province of Alberta was the first.  In Alberta the inagural Family day holiday was the third Monday of February in 1990.

It was not until17 years later that Saskatchewan signed on, followed by British Columbia and Ontario.  This year Albertans celebrate the 26th time the holiday has occurred.

Unlike National holidays like Canada day, Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter it is refreshing to have a holiday that is not driven by commercialism.  There are no special gifts or foods associated with the day.

There is no standard practices or customs associated with this day.   If you just want to take a day off work and spend some qaulity time with your family,even if just a family of one, that is okay.

Read a book, Dance a Jig, Chat with your Children

I very much appreciate a regulated day off work.  I could work and be paid extra, if my employer offered, or rather I can  just use my imagination.  Free time at my doorstep, the possibilities are endless.

Most importantly for me though is the opportunity to reach out to my family, spread across the country almost from coast to coast and just say hello.

 

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Getting Answers

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Yesterday, I was listening to some of the music  by the Byrds,  a rock/ pop band who experienced great fame in the late 1960’s and early seventies.  This is some of the music I grew up with and can assocoiate with  key life experiences.

Something New

A key member of the band was David Crosby who went on to greater fame with Crosby, Stills and Nash followed by a very successful solo career, one that is still underway.

I noticed for the first time that a lot of David’s early songs were questions .  Songs like “Whats Happening”, “Why”, and “Carry On/Questions”

First step toward answers

Although quite simply intuitive, it dawned on me the first step to getting answers is asking the questions.  Without questions there can be no answers as one is the product of the others.

Back in his youth  (early twenties) Crosby had the opportunity to voice his questions in song to a large audience.  This resonated with the audience, many of whom were asking themselves the same thing, probably just not out loud.

And with the passing of time ….?

Many years have passed since these songs were written.  Listening to the lyrics more closely today I find it interesting that most of the ideas being raised continue for me to be unanswered.

To clarify I have points in time where I knew the answers enough to proceed but definitive solution to whats happening, why and how to carry on remain elusive.

I wonder if David found his answers.  Given the progression from hard partying drug addict to sage oldster reflecting on his past I would venture to say “yes” to some extent he has found some meaning but to some extent his search will continue to at least death – as it does for the rest of us.

Continually asking questions is part of life itself and if everything was answered there would be no need for more questions.  You could then postulate the circular argument, no more questions, no need to keep on living.

So keep on asking those questions.

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

The rise of behavioral economics (BE)

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During the last ten years or so simple economic theory around consumer purchasing practices has changed.   Traditional thinking was that people made rational logic based purchasing decisions .

Behavioral studies conducted early in the first decade of the twenty-first century have debunked that myth.  In general it has been shown there are numerous examples of simple behavioral nudges that can consistently drive actions that are neither necessarily the most logical or rational.

Some Examples

Consider this simple food consumption test.   Over months of testing with an identical buffet menu and fixed patronage it was demonstrated a statistically significant differnce in food comsumption when the only varible was plate size.

Larger plates led to greater consumption even though the logical decision would be portion control, for health purposes.  It is widely known that over-eating is not a healthy practice.

For food sale economics this practice of increasing food sales by nudging the customers with larger plates and increasing sales is a simple example of the use of behavioral economics.

Think about a case where you have been in a supermarket studying a variety of brands, basically the same thing; for example canned beans, and you are trying to decide which to choose.  Studies have shown if one of the products is labled “best seller” or “most sold”, you will have a bias to choose it.

Although there is no rational  reason for such behaviors it has been demonstrated to be the case through many independent studies.  This is just another example of nudging behavior through subtle cues that don’t require a logical underpinning.

Be Cautious of Your Instinctual Behaviours

The moral to the story is simple.  Before leaping into that purchase decision override your subconscious thinking, do a logic check as to what is truly the best behavior for you, then proceed.

 

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Making Gravitational waves

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Back in 1915, as part of his theory of relativity Albert Einstein included the existance of gravitational waves.  Over the years, and in some cases within Alberts lifetime various pieces of the theory of relativity were proven.  However this did not include proof gravitational waves existed.

Yesterday it was announced in Washington DC that in Sepetember an experimental device designed using lasers and a multitude of other highly complex technology had successfully detected a gravitational wave.

A true Genius

Over one hundred years ago Einstein developed a theory to explain physical phenomena’s he observed.  It hurts my brain just to absorb the concepts today and all I have to do is understand the answer, I don’t have to figure anything out.

For me the amazing part is as much about observing physical clues as it is about interpreting and explaining them.

Einsteins task was not only solving the mystery but actually figuring out what the  mystery was in the first place.

The scientists that have followed are brilliant as well but they knew their objective and approached achieving it through a set of incremental goals. This is a little simpiler than starting out with basically a blank page.

Understanding the Universe

And so part two in the ongoing journey of understanding the universe begins.  How did it come to being? How big is it? What changes are continually occurring?

I may not live long enough to see all the answers revealed, but at least some I hope.

 

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Helping someone who needs it

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I had a discussion today with a colleague about helping someone who needs it.  For me, the points we bantered about apply whether personal or business focused.

Perception is Reality

It is critical to remember that your reality is based on the way you perceive things and caution must be applied to assumptions about whether help is needed or not.

Trying to assist when assistance is neither desired nor maybe considered required can lead to a whole host of issues.

A key skill to practice from your emotional intelligence (EQ) tool bag is self awareness.  Be aware whether the desire to help is potentially really for you as much as for the target who you are offering support to.   This is a key underlying factor it is really important to have a solid grasp of – that is why are you offering to help.

Receptivity

Most important is to check for receptivity.  Typically helping people who don’t want to be helped requires a battering ram  approach (exaggeration) or careful planning and manipulation.

Obviously the greatest success comes when help is requested rather than offered – although both approaches can work the latter usually requires a little more finesse, sensitivity and ample use of humor (always a good way to grease receptivity).

Why Help and When?

For  the most chance of achieving positive results from the assistance select opportunities where it is needed.

Humans (like most animals) have great instincts and gratuitous offers for help are usually smelt out a mile away.  This results in passive aggressive behavior at best and pure aggressive behavior at worse.

Please be the good Samaritan, this is a basic foundation of high performing cultures (social or business); but exercise with care to achieve the best results.

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Guiding Success

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A key leadership attribute is having a keen understanding of the destination.  And most importantly how to get there.

Givving Direction

The first step toward achievement of a goal is clearly understanding the big picture.  What is the overall objective and how  and where do individual goals fit on the path to the overall objective.

Effective leaders not only  guide and direct the journey but monitor the quality and effectiveness of the achievements along rhe way.  It never ceases to amaze me when I hear a leader or manager exclaim “Thats not what I wanted”.

Of course another favorite is “Stop asking all these questions, just do it”  For me these kind of directions come from those with more managerial tendencies (a boss, supervisor or even a parent).

Leaders Seek the Optimal Result

Giving direction and guidance can lead to results but it’s important to qualify that results alone do not equal success.

Understanding the work that is being done, to ensure the goals and objectives align is not about micro managing or inflexibility.  Rather it is guiding achievement without interfering, micro managing or doing it yourself.  No one said leadership was easy.

How is this possible

Most importantly construct an environment for open ongoing and frequent communication.  Too often leaders hide behind the door to their office (a badge of success – the office that is).

Communication, voluntary, exuberant, two way and frank is the only way a leader can grasp what is occurring without becoming over involved and directive.  That is encourage everyone to discuss openly and freely about what is going on.

A free and open exchange of ideas with the right touch and balance of direction and validation the the goal is being approached, that is what you seek.