Scott Berkun's talk on Innovation

Scott Berkun, author of "Making things happen" and "The Myths of Innovation" gave an interesting talk on the process of innovation. You can check it out here .

Disconnect and Conquer

Many times we feel overwhelmed by what is going on around us; too many things to do and just not enough hours in the day!


How do we then create that separation & balance? Should we 'focus' on one activity first and then another? The answer is: 'No, we shouldn't FOCUS!'


Focus is perhaps the wrong word to use. Instead, we choose to disconnect from everything except the activity at hand. 


Focus reminds us there are distractions, which in turn leads us down the path of each distraction at inappropriate times. 


Disconnect implies that only one thing exists in front of you. Imagine if you will, a black hole enveloping everything else.The less complex the environment, the easier it is to think of nothing else.


According to Tony Robbins, the words we use to describe our experience become our experience. Hence, Focus on transforms to disconnect from.



You can disconnect yourself from people, emotions, electronic devices etc. You'll work better, achieve more even if it's only for a few minutes at a time.

Book Review

Made to Stick 

       Chip & Dan Heath            

Made to Stick, by the Heath brothers, Chip and Dan Heath, is a remarkable book that does exactly what the title says.

Characters of this story
Arch Enemy:                                       Curse of Knowledge
Enemy Sidekicks:                                Decision Paralysis, Burying the Lead
Hero:                                                 Sticky ideas


Setting

Present day; workplace, meetings, presentations, parties, friends & families, documents, stories, movies and so on.

Mission

Defeat the enemy and save the world

Plot

Reduce conflict between our hero and his arch enemy, by using the secret weapon; 

the SUCCESs principles.

S =  Simple

      Find the core of the message

      E.g., determine what is the single most important thing you would like your 
      audience to walk away with. For any additional points you add, ask yourself 
      'Does this really support my core idea?' If not, throw it out.

U = Unexpected
      Capture (and keep) the attention of your audience.E.g., Break patterns, do 
      something counterintuitive


C = Concrete
     Create meaning & tangibility for your message to be understood and
     remembered. E.g., Build your case around a metaphor or image. 'Sour Grapes'
     implies bitterness


C = Credible
      Provide a reliable source to ensure agreement and acceptance of what you 
      have to say. E.g., backed by Govt. statistics, famous shows, doctors


E = Emotional
      Make others care


S = Story
      Create a rich picture that provides source of inspiration and allows audience
      to act upon. E.g., Chicken Soup books provide personal accounts of tragedy 
      and love etc.


For further details on how to use these SUCCESs principles and live examples, I highly recommend you read this book.

The Art of Cartooning

Recently I have become fascinated with communication and presentation of information. I've always had a love for data; the more the better :). But while reading this interesting book called  Presentation Zen , I was introduced to the term Art of Cartooning.


One of my favorites: Dilbert





You might pick up your daily paper, take a glance at what Dilbert is up to today and chuckle silently. But have you ever realized that this 3 box communique is a work of art?


Here's why:
1.  You get ONLY 3 BOXES to get your point across. How many slides/pages did you use today?
2.  The message is clear, to the point and no ambiguity on what the author is trying to say.
3.  It is FUNNY!  A skewed, if not accurate, portrayal of society today.
4.  Inspiration comes from the most ordinary of things. It takes a great deal of awareness to notice the finer points in life

5.  Cartooning is a visual whole-brain activity. It requires an artistic side as well as a linguistic and processing ability.   

Hats off to you cartoonists. You make our days brighter and our hearts happier!

Free e-book from ManageTrainLearn

Click here for a compilation of Management & Personal Development sites 


(courtesy of ManageTrainLearn.com )

Quote

"Inside every block of stone or marble dwells a beautiful statue; one need only remove the excess material to reveal the work of art within"


Michelangelo

Know Thyself!

Developing a Personal Brand

What is a Personal Brand and why do we need one? 

Branding is about identifying and distinguishing yourself from the crowd. It shows the world what is attractive about you and what you can do for them.

Most importantly, the branding exercise helps you understand yourself through a round of self- analysis and evaluation. Many people go through life not knowing what they are truly capable of, what they want to do or how to sell themselves.

Here are 5 questions to ask yourself:

1.)  What makes me tick?

What makes me happy? Why have I been successful in the past? What drives me, my passions and interests? What would be my ideal role and why did I choose the profession I’m in now?

2.)  What can I deliver?

What have I achieved; results, programs, changes to processes? What successes have I had?

3.)  How do I make my workplace better?

This represents the soft side of your impact on the environment. Are you a good communicator / manager / leader? What do people recall when they think of you? Are you flexible and open to change? What is your working style, your philosophy and contribution? Do people agree and would they be willing to back it up? Can you provide concrete examples of that expertise? What about you is special that no one else has? If you weren’t there, what would the organization be missing out on?

4.)  Why am I in demand?

You may wonder if you are, in fact, 'In demand'. Each and every person is in demand, because it's not about having the specific requirements that an employer may be looking for but rather the skill sets you have that are unique and the value it brings.

These skills could be academic (Ph. D in ...), technology related (experience in instructional design), softwares used, a technique you refined, a new type of methodology implemented and so on. In essence, it is the bits and pieces of your background that pop out and capture attention of others.

5.)  Why should you hire me?

With everything put together, this question should answer how you will add value and why. Exemplify your contribution and offering as an individual, as a team and as an integral part of the marketplace.

Give due effort to the exercise above and it will open your eyes to the choices you have made and direct the ones you make in the future.

(Adapted from Kristi Daeda   www.kristidaeda.com)