For years, the people that know me, and many groups I have worked with have heard me talk about how our school experiences so often get in the way of people designing (and experiencing) effective learning experiences as adults.

I read something today that I wish I had written, because much of it could have come from my keyboard. Here is one brief snippet near the end ...

"One of the biggest mistakes adult learning programs and learners can make, in my opinion, is to use traditional school as the model. It doesn't work for kids, and it doesn't work for adults. Because it doesn't work for the brain. I know there are enormous challenges and pressures for delivering public school learning (that so many teachers don't have the option or power to change), but most adult education programs that follow the same poor model don't have those excuses."

Please read the whole post HERE. You and those you coach, train and parent will be glad you did.

Then, check out the Creating Passionate Users web blog, where this post came from.


Also posted in Leadership and Training.

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As professionals and leaders expected great performance out of ourselves and those around us we have many choices we can make. One of them is to choose to be healthier.

the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has a site with 118 small steps you can take to get healthier. Click HERE to see the list.

I'm doing pretty good on numbers 5, 45, 71, and 95, and do #3 sometimes. What about you?

Also posted in Leadership.

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Twice within the last couple of weeks, from two different sources, I got a link to a site that helps you learn the relative locations of the states on a U.S. map.

The page is from a site called Sheppard Software, whose tagline is "We make learning fun" (this is almost reason enough to mention the site!). I've always been a person who likes maps, knows how to read them (thanks Dad) and so this particular game isn't necessarily hard for me, but I have enjoyed it anyway. The game involves taking the random state outline you are given and dragging and dropping onto the larger map. Click HERE to see the game.

This is pretty easy if you get border states early (you do all 50 and build the whole map), but frustrating if your first state is, say, Arkansas.

I share this site because two people I know who aren't very geographically savvy have really enjoyed the game and have gotten better at placing the states - which is what the game is for after all.

Take a look to check your knowledge of U.S. geography. And while you are there notice how fun learning can be when it is designed right (which doesn't have to mean complex).

Also posted in Training.

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Yesterday I had a conversation about trying to be more present in the things that I do - that I am trying to be more focused on the current task in the current moment. This is something I know is important, and while in some situations I think I am very good at it, in others I've been trying to get better.

Then, last night, as I was exercising, my 12 year old son Parker, came in and said, "You know Dad, the past and the future is only in our mind. Only this moment is real." I agreed with him and smiled, realizing that this was like a profound riddle, and didn't think any more about it, until this morning when I was writing Powerquotes Plus.

The quotation I selected was:

"Only when your consciousness is totally focused on the
moment you are in can you receive whatever gift, lesson,
or delight that moment has to offer."

-- Barbara De Angelis, author


As I wrote the associated Questions to Ponder and Action Steps, I couldn't help thinking how truly profound Parker's comment was.

Which shouldn't be suprising - after all I just got back from his Honors Breakfast.

Congrats to Parker.

And to all of you, I encourage you to be present today

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Ellen Dunnigan is a colleague and voice coach who shared these tips on dealing with sore throats, and specifically Laryngitis in her newsletter today. As a trainer or presenter you never know when this might happen to you, so these I copy her advice below with her permission:

If you've had a cold or sore throat lately, and now have laryngitis, you're not alone. Laryngitis means that your vocal cords and the tissues surrounding them are swollen. This same swelling happens when you've been yelling too much at sporting events or in a loud nightclub. Here are some timely tips designed to ease your pain and bring back your voice so you can get back to your life.

- Stay indoors. Breathe in warm, moist air. Use a warm air humidifier at night while you sleep. Breathe deeply during steamy showers. Inhale steam from a kettle or facial steamer.
- Eliminate caffeine (found in coffee, tea, colas, and chocolate) until your voice is back to normal.
- Drink at least 64 ounces of water daily.
- Don't use cough drops with menthol or other alcohols (ending in "-ol").
- Do just what your mother told you...gargle with warm salt water 3-4 times each day
- Don't whisper loudly; don't force your voice. Talk very quietly, if at all.
And call our office at the first sign of laryngitis. We have a special spray we'll provide you and we have exercises designed to bring your voice back within 24 hours.

Checkout her website, http://www.accentonbusiness.net for more information.

Thanks Ellen!

Also posted in Training.

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I've spent a lot of professional time thinking about and helping organizations think about process improvement. The amount of work that has been done over the past few years by businesses of all kinds through focused effort, process improvement techniques, and technology is astounding.

As important as all of this is, this work has transformed work in this country. Fewer of us are expected to work solely in transactional process-based jobs anymore. More and more people have a project component to their work, whether they realize it or not.

The bad news? There isn't much except that these people (us) have to learn how to succeed in this world, and leaders need to rethink roles and expectations of others.

The good news? Project based work brings greater opportunities for growth, excitement, fun and meaning to the work. To learn five keys to being successful in this new world, read my latest issue of Unleash Your Potential.

Also posted in Leadership.

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We've instituted a new process on my team, and I'm excited about it. Every Friday at 9:15 we have scheduled a meeting called the Learning and Idea Meeting. In this meeting we will share the things we have learned in the last week - especially those things related to our development plans and our organizational goals.

By having a meeting we are holding ourselves to the expectation that we are learning things, and by sharing those learning nuggets we deepen and clarify what we have learned.

The idea part of the meeting is meant to do two things - capture ideas that were spawned from our learning as well as allowing us a space to explore new ideas for products, services, marketing, etc. on a regular basis.

These meetings won't be highly structured but I believe will have a real impact on our progress and ultimate success. I'll keep you informed of our process and what we learn.

Also posted in Leadership and Training

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Friday night and Saturday morning I saw the future right in front of me. It was quite a site!

I was the opening speaker and the Indiana FFA Leadership Development Conference and had nearly 300 high school student leaders from around the state in my audience. It was a priviledge and an honor to share some ideas and some laughter with them as they learn how to become more effective as leaders.

To work with them I had to re-craft some of my messages and stories to make sense for them. Doing this renewed my own understanding of some of the things I help adults with all the time.

I have often told people to get their messages clear enough so a 12 year old could understand it. I learned a lot by getting my messages clear and effective to 15-17 year olds!

Do yourself a favor. If you have a chance to present or share some of your knowledge and wisdom with high school students, do it. They will benefit from your message, and you will learn more then they will.

Also posted in Leadership and Training.

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"Lagniappe" (LAN-yap) is a word used primarily in southern Louisiana - which is where I learned it.

I love the way the word sounds, but I really love what it means - giving a little something extra that is unexpected.

Having a lagniappe attitude and habits can be tremendously beneficial to you and those you serve. The applications in our work are endless. Here are a few situations for you to consider...

As a leader, think about how you can serve a little bit better by giving something a little bit extra.

When serving Customers, think about the little extra you can give people at the time of the purchase, or at some point in the future that is a pleasant surprise.

How can you give a little lagniappe to other members of your team?

How can you make the training you design or deliver unusual, and unexpectedly interesting, fun or effective?

Think lagniappe today.

Also posted in Creativity, Customer Service, Leadership, Teamwork and Training

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I've been called "the Idea Man", and I've studied and taught creativity, and I do love ideas. I write them down in my journal, struggle sometimes to stay focused because of the number I have.

Because of, or in spite of this fact, I signed up for one more email today. Starting tomorrow I will get an idea a day in my inbox. I'm reading Seth Godin's Free Prize Inside and he mentions a site called http://idea-a-day.com, which is what it is.

After two minutes there I was subscribed, and I'm already suggesting it to you.

Their ideas may spur your ideas. Their concepts may trigger your synapses. This is reason enough.

Check it out.

Also posted in Creativity.

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Seldom am I able to remember or recite a commercial after hearing it on the radio once. The one I heard yesterday though, has stuck with me. It went something like this:

A second grade teacher is introduced and is giving the listeners a multiple choice question test.

1. You last watched television
A. Last night
B. Last week
C. Last month

2. You last watched a movie
A. Last night
B. Last week
C. Last month

3. You last watched a sporting event
A. Last night
B. Last week
C. Last month

4. You last visited your child's school
A. Last night
B. Last week
C. Last month
D. Never

The message was very powerful and presented by PTA.

As parents, we are responsible for nurturing our children in many ways. Few people take anything any more seriously than this, and yet, as the commercial suggests, perhaps our stated priorities aren't the same as our actions suggest.

I ask you to take this same quiz, and replace question four with:

4. You last spent real time on your own personal development goals:
A. Last night
B. Last week
C. Last month

Ponder your answer, and reflect on what it says about your priorities.

Also posted in Training and Leadership

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Since writing the blog entry about the animals sensing the tsunami, I've seen a story on it on NBC Nightly News, and heard commentary about it on the radio. This morning I received a newsletter with another article referencing this phenomenon. Since the Wall Street Journal article I referenced was in a subscriber-only area, and this one isn't, I thought people might be interested in reading more than my short synopsis.

You can read this short article, entitled, Did 'Sixth Sense' Save the Animals? by clicking HERE.

The tsunami has changed many things in our world. Along with all of the tragedy, loss and devastation, I believe we will continue to hear about the animals and science will be trying to learn more about what they know that we don't - or what they tap into that we don't listen to.

Also posted in Leadership, Creativity, and Training.

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In Today's Wall Street Journal is an article about animals sensing seismic activity - having a sixth sense if you will. The story mentions several areas in Asia where animals in large numbers fled coastal areas just before the waves arrived.

Scientists have wondered about this for years and the article tells several anecdotes of animals saving themselves or acting unusual before earthquakes.

I found the article interesting. Obviously many others did to as it is the most read article on http://wsj.com today (alas, in the members only area.)

I share it because it reminds me of thesis of a great book that comes out next week. Titled, Blink, author Malcolm Gladwell (of The Tipping Point fame)it talks about the science behind our intuition and why it is so often right - and what kinds of things we can do to listen to and protect that intuition and our first judgments.

Perhaps the animals listen to the sense they get to avoid the disaster of a Tsunami, and perhaps we will benefit from listening to our first judgments - in business and in life.

(I definitely recommend reading Blink. I read an advanced reading copy last summer and I predict it will be one of the most talked about business (or otherwise) books of the year. It is released next Tuesday. )

Also posted in Leadership, Creativity and Training.

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Three years ago, a colleague of mine, Stephanie West Allen, named January 2 as Positive Postcard Day. I'll let her explain the process as I quote her:

First, write down seven positive traits about yourself. Next, obtain seven postcards. Write a note to yourself about each trait on a different postcard. When you are done, you will have seven postcards, each with a note to yourself about one of the positive traits you listed.

You may write a note as simple as this:

"Dear Sally,

You are very imaginative.

Love,

Sally"

Or:

"Dearest, remarkable Sally,

You are wildly and wonderfully imaginative!

Much love and respect and affection to you, girl,

Sally"

THE WHOLE SPECTRUM OF COLORS

Why seven traits and seven cards? Because a musical major scale has seven notes, a week has seven days, a telephone number has seven numbers, a rainbow has seven colors. Seven is a good number.

Speaking of rainbows, it is highly recommended that you get writing utensils that write each of the seven colors -- red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo , and violet. Use one of the colors for writing each of your postcards so you will have a rainbow of postcards when you are done.

Now address your cards to yourself and stamp them.

Give the whole stack to a friend and tell him or her to mail you the cards throughout the first quarter of 2005. Make sure he or she does not tell you when each is posted so your receiving your cards will be a fine surprise for you each time one arrives.

Receiving a card will add a new and bright dimension to your day. And it will again invoke the powerful phenomena of self-fulfilling prophecy and the law of attraction.

CARE PACKAGES

Next prepare a Postcard Care Package for someone else. Give this person seven stamped postcards and seven pens, one of each color of the rainbow. Give him or her the instructions above on preparing Positive Postcards. Recommend that, after he or she has prepared the seven Positive Postcards and given them to someone for mailing, he or she prepare a Postcard Care Package for someone else.

See the potential here? If people prepare their own Positive Postcards AND give someone else a Postcard Care Package, the mails in 2005 will be filled with Positive Postcards arriving to surprise, and to affirm marvelous traits.

You may not do this today - might not even read it today! It doesn't matter. Take this process and use it or modify it for your own use.

Some options I can think of immediately are:

- Put together the CARE packages for everyone on your team and do this at your next team meeting.
- Send Packages to your favorite Clients, enclosing the materials and instructions and offer to be their "sender by enclosing a self addressed stamped envelop to return the post cards to you.
- Give the materials and instructions to a training class and either have them exchange their postcards or collect them and mail them yourself.
- Go into a school classroom and in collaboration with a teach have a whole class write them and give them to you to mail to them at random days in the coming weeks.

There are many more ideas you will come up with. If you have ones that will make a difference for you, your organization or the world at large, let me know and I'll post them here.

Also posted in: Leadership, Teamwork, Training, and Customer Service

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The first day of a New Year finds many people waking up wishing they hadn't celebrated so much the night before, but still spending time thinking about the year ahead. I think that is great, I just wish people would do it more often than once a year.

If it takes a ball dropping to make us forward thinkers, then maybe we should have Regis Philbin or Dick Clark, or someone dropping the ball every day.

Here is something I wrote last year this time (before I was blogging). I think it captures what I am thinking.

"New Year’s Day is special only as a symbol of a new
beginning. The realty is that every day is a new
beginning, a new chance to create the life that we desire."

Happy New Year!

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