The month of May was one of my most impactful months in recent memory. Here is just a taste of my “happenings”:

• I updated the Repeatable Successful Acts platform with new information on the behaviors of top producers by adding a new industry to the research base.
• I debuted a new program on the impact of fear on decision making for the telecommunications industry. I have been working on it for a couple of months and it was a huge hit.
• I had the opportunity to tour St. Jude’s Hospital in Memphis and saw the daily miracles that dedicated people can make happen.
• I was part of a team of unbelievably bright people, designing a new leadership model for their company.
• I had the opportunity to teach an updated version of Interpersonal Communication as a continued course in a sales training program.
• My youngest son Colin graduated from the University of Arkansas.
• I had the honor of working with The Hugh O’Brian Youth Organization and saw the future is in good hands.
• I had the chance to teach thinking skills to a group that had me on my toes the entire day.

June finally provides me a little time to get caught up on some open projects and get ready for a hectic and wonderfully busy summer.

“Vampires, mummies and the Holy Ghost, these are the things that terrify me the most” - Jimmy Buffett

Fear is running rampant today, in fact, I think it would get top billing as the emotionally norm of a frightening world. As a kid you might have been frightened by the Mummy or Frankenstein (even though you knew you could out run them, heck the Mummy dragged one leg and apparently Frankenstein’s knees didn’t bend, making him about as mobile as the Statue of Liberty). Maybe it was the flying monkeys of the Wizard of Oz (freaked me out), or Jason from Friday the 13th – but now it’s what economic bubble will burst next. Ourcurrent monsters sit behind desks at CNN and MSNBC providing a current world view that could be thestage for some apocalyptic sci-fi future. A recent study by the Carnegie Mellon Institute shows that our national psyche is deeply influenced by the emotion of news. Our judgment is clouded by a fog of misperception making us, at best, pseudo leaders.

Some of the latest work in Neuroscience tells us that when the fear system is in high gear our exploratory and risk systems turn off. We basically go into reaction mode focusing exclusively on effect loosing all understanding of causation.

The world becomes a Skinner Box, a conditional chamber that automatically trains lab animals, where we bounce around trying not to get burned in the flames of impeding disaster.

What do you do to break the “fear cycle”? How can you effectively manage and lead when those around you from your team to your clients are paralyzed? Here are a couple of ideas:

• The Socratic Method: Think of playing the role of the intelligent questioner. During timesof fear we forget to think and yield to rapid response. Remember the 3rd Creative Ventures Law – Speed Never Outweighs Thought. By becoming an active questioner, with both your team and your clients, you can create a dialog path. People want to talk in times of fear, become the instigator of discussion. The act of exploration and discovery stems from asking the right questions. Plan your strategy around open ended questions; “how did you feel about that”, “what do you think about this idea?”
  
• Instigate Communication: Fear thrives on the unknown. Look for opportunities to push communication as a regular feature. Think about informal, regular team meetings. These should last about 5 minutes every morning and provide basic info on what’s going on. Have a regular office or team meeting with the intent of giving everyone the big picture. These should never last more than 30 minutes. Communication is the heartbeat of the office. Now extend that heartbeat to your clients. The worst sin is to go silent in times of fear.

Fear is not all bad; it is after all a survival mechanism. The harm is that it can cripple our decision making process. Being aware is the first step, being active in your strategy provides the type of leadership these times need.

We have a new program on the impact of fear and the solutions to decision making so that you can be a true leader in difficult times.

Oh, Those Youngsters: I am always interested in the work being done on generational workers. The Max Planck Institute for Human Development did a recent US study on the Millennial work force (born between 1977 & 1995) identifying the following traits:

• They define success differently – Life 1st and Work 2nd.
• The job should be fulfilling NOW, if not they will move on.
• They do not believe in the ONE STOP JOB.
• They are deeply responsible to friends, family and society.

The deal is, you need to start thinking differently when working with the future teams in your company.

Hospitality Redefined: The Joie de Vivre Hotel chain in California is a group of over 20 unique boutique properties offering travelers a wide variety of special experiences. Now there are a lot of wonderful boutique hotels – I like Kimpton Hotels, but I love their operational philosophy. Founder Chip Conley and his team believe in creating value for the employee, customer and then investor, in that order. Management often works as housekeepers to discover ways to make the experience meaningful. They believe both team members and guests are looking for a good partner over a good deal and if you can marry both together, FANTASTIC. When you are headed to California try them out, you will be impressed!

The Digi Novel : Anthony Zuiker, the creator of the CSI TV empire is getting ready to launch a revolutionary idea in publishing. Level 26 – Dark Origins will be a combination, thriller novel, motion picture quality film and interactive web site all connecting to a unique entertainment experience. The first media piece of this intriguing puzzle will launch on July 23rd with the first novel appearing on the shelves September 9th. Everyone in the entertainment business is keeping their eye on this idea to see if it can find a way to give a diverse audience the total entertainment combination everyone is looking for.

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CONTACT: Interested in these ideas?

You can contact Steve at steve@creativeventures.com or give him a call at 972-490-7717.