Selfies and the True Self…

/in /by

I see you. There you are… smiling with your arm outstretched and your face ever so slightly straining as you simultaneously juggle the role of photographer and subject. It’s you. The you I always enjoy seeing, but for some reason, it’s not the same. Can’t put my finger on exactly why. It’s just not the same you.

So here’s an idea:

Take the camera. Turn it around. Show me what you see. Never mind if it’s good, or interesting, or artistic, or inspiring. It’s you. The you the world doesn’t see every day. The you with a point of view. The real you.

Those who can, do. Those who choose not to try, criticize.

/in /by

If a visitor from another culture, or planet for that matter, turns on a TV set or logs into any of our popular social media sites they quickly learn that we’re a culture that seems to thrive on criticizing almost everything. There are hundreds of TV shows where people just sit there and criticize things. People actually get paid to criticize things. Criticism is a profession. The proliferation of professional critics really says something about us. Because, funny thing is, most people don’t like to be criticized. In fact, they abhor it. So why are we so eager to enjoy criticizing others when we hate it if it’s directed at ourselves?

I believe people embrace criticism because it’s a safe way to participate in the game of life. If you’re standing around the water cooler or campfire criticizing things, you could be considered a person who’s aware or, if you have a good vocabulary, even wise or worldly.

All of this criticism is usually directed at the brave few who are trying to create new things. The visionaries who believe that we can always get better. The most successful visionaries are those who completely ignore the critics or learn to use criticism as fuel. I’m talking about people like Dr. Martin Luther King, Abraham Lincoln and Steve Jobs. They were visionaries who were criticized heavily and without mercy by the wise and worldly types. If you’re a visionary striving to create something, learn to take criticism for what it is…absolutely nothing.

How does your company shoot free throws?

/in /by

Here comes one of those sports stories that’s a metaphor for life and business. You’ve been warned.

When I was on the high school baseball team, we were lead by an aging head coach who was proudly “old school.” He loathed astro turf, believed aluminum bats were a sin and as for the designated hitter rule…let’s just say it’s a good thing our pitchers knew how to bunt. Despite his devotion to the game’s traditional ways, our coach had never led a team to a district title.

One year he hired a young assistant coach from the Dominican Republic who had briefly played in the Majors and was the absolute antithesis of old school. Under his guidance we rehearsed the game’s routines in odd ways at daily practices. We hit bottle caps with the end of broom sticks  and took ground balls with flat styrofoam boxes taped to our hands.

Having seen enough of what he believed was a mockery of tradition, our head coach pulled his young assistant aside and within earshot of the entire team declared, “Coach, that’s just not the way we did it when I payed.”

The young Dominican gave his boss a big league smile and said through a thick accent, “Coach, when you played they shoot free throws like this.” He then mimed the action of a granny-style free throw prompting the entire team to nearly die of laughter.

The game is forever changing. The question to perpetually ask is how does your company shoot free throws?

(ps: That young Dominican was asked to resign halfway through the season. He would eventually go on to become one of the winningest high school baseball coaches in the history of the city. By contrast, the old coach with a love for days of yesteryear never again had another winning season.) 

What’s on YOUR “Could Do” List

/in /by

You know what you have to do. It’s written on your “to do” list and waiting to be checked off as soon as you do what you have to.to-do-list

But what’s on your “could do” list?

You used to have a wonderful “could do” list and carried  it everywhere you went when you were a kid. Psychologists would call it an imagination, but for you it was a constant reminder that the future was wide open and the world was waiting to be explored.

Somewhere along the way to the middle, you may have allowed your dreams to be replaced with tasks. Your “could do” list became your “to do” list.

Take out a piece of paper and make a “could do” list. Tape it to your computer monitor, so it’s always on your mind (but don’t forget about your “to do” list).

Reintroduce yourself to your imagination. It may have been a while since you hung out together, but I think you’ll find it’s still up for anything.

 

could do list

Fat – an Adaptation Blog Radio post

/in /by

Take a listen to “Fat” – our first in a series of Adaptation Blog Radio posts that are meant to make you think differently about yourself or your business.

Why Not?

/in /by

Organizations that have a history of success are often the most resistant to change. Many established companies that have been successful in the past are not as successful as they used to be, so they go looking for new ideas hoping to rekindle the triumphant flames of yesteryear. They create internal teams to explore new ideas or hire consultants to help them infuse a fresh perspective into their company’s thinking.

Many bright people show up at subsequent meetings with truly wonderful, well thought out, potentially game changing ideas. Yet the presentation of a new vision is often followed by a long period of uncomfortable silence. The hum of the air conditioner is the only audible sound as a seemingly disinterested group sits in muted awkwardness, unwilling to continue the conversation for fear of admonishment. Then some manager type is often the first person to offer an opinion and leads the group in an aimless discussion explaining WHY the idea will never work.

Here is a short list of the most common reasons Why an idea will never work.

That’s just not possible.
We’ll never do that here.
They will never agree to it.
That’s not how we do it.
We’re too small (big) to think like that.
I’ll never get that approved.
We don’t have the man power.
The salesmen will never do it.
It’s too hard.
The IT guys hate it.
It’s not the corporate way.
It will take too long.
Can you give us an example of another company that’s done that successfully?

Companies unable to change are at risk of becoming irrelevant. The first step in avoiding this fate is to build a culture that nurtures and encourages those brave enough to keep the conversation going by asking Why Not?