Hey everyone, here we go. . . . . .

 

IN OUR WORLD:   Hard to believe the New Year is upon us.  Time seems to rush by so fast that it becomes harder and harder to grab a hold of those meaningful moments.  Makes slowing down, even just a little, a very powerful goal.  It’s really hard for me as I seem to be rushing from one thing to another.  Just yesterday I got called to drop everything I was doing and head to an important meeting for a client.  I started rushing to change my standard uniform (Levi’s and a black t-shirt), grabbing stuff I might need and planning the fastest route to their office.  I could feel the stress building.

 

I reminded myself to slow down.  I put some live Peter Gabriel on the car iPod and the next thing you know, everything was under control.

 

In 2007 I plan on applying a couple of new operational goals to both the business and my life:

 

·        Slow Down:  Ghandi said that “life’s goal is not increasing its speed”.  I want to be able to really understand things and that takes reflection.

·        Pay Attention:  There is stuff going on all around you.  If you slow down you can pay attention.  Try that at your next meeting and watch what you will discover.  It makes you shift to “active listening”.  Take a walk to engage your thinking and watch solutions develop.

·        Be Grateful:  Say “thanks” a lot more.  Tell people when they do a good job.  Reward great relationships.

 

Thanks for all your support and input.  It makes my wonder job even better!

 

 

 

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:  There is power in the intangible. 

 

As we apply systems to problems or goals, those systems generate the need to be measured.  These measurements form the metrics and the metrics become the heartbeat of the system.  In fact the metrics become the religion of the organization, so much so that we use them as the only measurement tool in the determination of success.

 

At a recent meeting I listened to leaders describe the metrics used to measure successful sales teams.  After discussion the CEO told a story about a team of 15 sales professionals and their manager.  He had recently met with the manager and discussed her approach to her team.  She told him that she treated them like her family.  She knew them.  She could tell when something was wrong or when their energy was high.  She listened and responded.

It was music to my ears.  It was a factor of success that would never show up in the metrics.  She told a STORY of her success.  She created a NARRATIVE ARC filled with the methods she used for success.  Some of those methods were unique to her personality and would be very difficult to repeat with other sales teams, BUT they were IMPACT POINTS to her team.  Within her NARRATIVE ARC were hidden what we term REPEATABLE SUCCESSFUL ACTS (RSA’s).

 

If you formalized the process of this type of interview by developing a series of well formed questions you would create a systemic approach to allowing someone to tell a story.  You would be able to capture both IMPACT POINTS and RSA’s.

 

That is the power of THE NARRATIVE ARC platform.   Imagine marrying the metrics of systemic measurement with a substantive method of capturing the critical nature of what used to be intangibles and you have a complete process of seeing success.

 

Drop us a note about our NARRATIVE ARC strategic initiative.

 

 

MOVIES:   Children of Men is really good, but as with most movies about the future, it paints a bleak view of tomorrow.  What the hell is going on with our future as seen in movies?  It’s always dark, raining and filled with bad things.  This is a good story and I love Clive Owen.

 

NetFlix Fans:  Annie Hall is the best of Woody Allen and has recently been voted by the US Film Achieves as a Top 10 comedy of all time.

 

 

BOOKS:  Alex and David Bennet have taken a stab at emerging trends in new organizations in their book Organizational Survival in the New World.  It’s a simple read that will make you re-examine some fundamental systems.

 

Jack Reacher is BACK!  Die Trying is the latest Reacher adventure from author Lee Child.  Reacher is my FAVORITE re-occurring character.  To gain a better understanding of this lone wolf, ex-military guy start at the beginning with The Killing Floor.

 

THE BEST AND WORST MOVIES OF 2006 IS READY TO GO.  If you want a copy, drop me a note.

 

MUSIC:  I have been listening to a lot of David Gray.  I love his style and music.  Take a trip to iTunes and check out his live stuff.

SOUTH OF NORMAL:  People who know me, know of my intense training routines and I have often been referred to as a “body Nazi”, but I am barely a blip on the radar screen of intensity when you look at Dean Karnazes. 

This guy ran 50 marathons in 50 days!  That’s more than 1300 miles in 1200 hours!

He does 200 mile runs for fun and 100 + temperatures are nothing to this guy.

He recently published the 12 secrets to being an extreme runner, as though there were armies of people just waiting to embark on his unique type of insanity, BUT I read them any way.  Here are a couple real South of Normal type secrets:

·        Set WOW goals:  Duh.  You might want to start with a 1 mile fun run.

·        For go sleep:  Yep, cross that biological need off your list.

·        Eat junk food:  I like this one.  He often orders a pizza while on a run and has it delivered to a street corner where he folds it up and eats it while running. 

·        Get used to pain:  One of my favorites.  I know lots of people who rush to pain and just can’t seem to get enough.

·        Get a cool watch:  My favorite as I’m a watch guy.  Get one with a GPS and a bunch of lap time categories.

 

There you go, now get out there and run towards South of Normal as fast as you can!

 

All the snow has turned to water.

Christmas day has come and gone.

John Prine

 

Drop me a note with your comments at creativeventures@nova1.com.

 

 

Thanks for stopping by and until next time, Adios and Aloha.