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

 

IN OUR WORLD

 

What a week!   First off to Little Rock, AR to conduct my first offering of our newly revised teambuilding retreat with new ideas, exercises and content flow.  The group was fantastic, full of participation and excitement.  The program provided strong action points giving them new ways to view their team dynamics.  I would love to work with them again in the future.

 

Then back to Dallas for a series of meetings and a huge charity presentation where I was the headliner!  I did a TED-like 20-25 minute version of They Shook The World, our program on the power of individual and organizational belief structures.  What a fantastic evening, at a gorgeous home with a full house.

 

Oh, and sneak a Jackson Browne concert in.  What a great show by one of my favorite singer/songwriters of all time.

 

Then catch a 8 AM flight today to Harlingen TX as I head down to South Padre Island for strategic planning.

 

Wow, I love being busy!

 

 

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

 

 

Here is a grab bag of new ideas:

 

• Motorola has a new tracking system to make sure your luggage does not get lost during air travel.  A small electronic chip is placed in the luggage tag (a passive RFID) .  Electronic readers throughout the system pick up the chip allowing your bag to say; “here I am”.  The read rate is 99.5% as compared to 80%-90% for current optical readers.  This is a huge advantage since over 34 million bags were lost or mishandled world wide.  Sounds big, huh.  But consider that the Las Vegas airport handles 70,000 pieces of luggage a day!
• Staying in the airport, Emily McHugh’s bag design company, Casauri, has created bags for your computer that eliminate the need to remove the computer from your regular travel bad during security screening.  Why a big deal you ask?  More than 12,000 computers disappear from American airports every week!  If you don’t get one of these bags, here is a hint, always put your laptop through the machine LAST, that way you can keep an eye on it as you wait to be waved through.
• Check out Burton’s new snowboard binding the CO2.  Its revolutionary design was inspired by the Aeron office chair.  Burton adapted the key features to provide for what many are hailing as the best binding ever!

 

Just a nibble of some new ideas. 

 

If you like these kinds of things I recommend you subscribe to Fast Company and Wired magazines!

 

 

 

ENTERTAINMENT

 

 

MOVIES:  The Changeling:   This is the latest from one of my favorite filmmakers, Clint Eastwood.  Go see it!  Clint is getting up there in years and may not have that many left, so don’t miss it!

 

NetFlix Fans:  Mystery Science Theater 3000 –   Most of you has no idea what this show is or was, but I used to laugh out loud every time I watched it.  It is a silly idea of a guy and his two robots trapped in space with only the old “B” sci-fi movies to watch.  They would then do what guys do, watch the movie making smart-ass remarks that will crack you up.  Sounds weird, but this series has a cult following of people who like to laugh.

 

TV:    USA Network has moved one of the countless Law and Order sub-series from a 2008 fall release to a 2009 released.  This is the Criminal Intent version.  They were going to break it up into two, nine week runs, but decided to give it a straight 16 episode run next year.  I got into this series as it is run constantly on USA, TNT and WGN, so while sitting in hotel rooms I became a fan.

 

BOOKS:  Night of Thunder by Stephen Hunter.  This is my fiction fix for my trip to the island.  It is the latest in the Bob Lee Swagger series, one of my favorite fictional tough guys.  If you have never read about Bob Lee, start with Point of Impact.

 

MUSIC:   Since I spent Wednesday night with my lovely bride, Jackson Browne and about 8,000 other people that somehow got invited, I thought I would post his great song, The Pretender.  The place went wild when he hit the first few bars on the keyboard.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikm9hn_xy9Y

 

WEB SITES:   Looking for a tough book to find?  Look no further.

 

 

http://www.bookfinder.com/

 

 

 

SOUTH OF NORMAL

Here are some interesting movie facts you might find a little odd:

• Of the 10 all-time box office leaders, eight were rated PG-13.  Titanic still holds the #1 spot.
• The 1970’s spawned 679 G rated movies, while the 1990’s shrunk the number to 142.
• Adjusted for inflation, Gone with the Wind is the #1 domestic earner of all time (rated G).
• 23% of all Americans see an X-rated film in a typical year.

Just a few weird facts.

 

Out into the cool of the evening strolls The Pretender,

Who started out so young and strong

Only to surrender.

Jackson Browne

 

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

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

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

 

IN OUR WORLD

 

Just back from Atlanta where the weather was crisp and fall like, though I never left the hotel! 

 

I had the honor of teaching my interpersonal communications program to a group of veteran and new sales professionals.  A fantastic inquisitive group that kept me on my toes.

 

My schedule will not slow down in the near future.  Next week, I travel to Little Rock, AR, to do a teambuilding event return to Dallas on Wednesday, do a charity event on Thursday night and then off to South Padre Island for some strategic thinking.  Whew.

 

I also just picked up a few new clients that have my November and early December crankin! 

 

 

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

 

 

If you live your life by the CNN’s of our media world you will be sure to think our financial future is nothing but doom and gloom.  Hey, it’s alright, I understand, it’s normal in a world where you are bombarded by media driven content to believe everything on the planet is bad.  Bad sells.  Blood in the headlines drives sales, ask any old newspaper guy and it still applies in the age of instantaneous impact.

 

Despite the portent of disaster, there are still those that seem to be doing well.  You all know where I’m headed, APPLE.  A few facts to help make my case:

 

• Last quarter revenue was $7.9 billion up 27%.
• Earnings rose $1.14 billion, up from $904 million.
• They have sold 13 million iPhones, three million more than projected.
• They sold 2.6 million computers, more than any other ¼ in history.
• 11 million iPods left the warehouse, more than any non-holiday quarter.
• Their cash reserves are now $25 billion.
• They operate with virtually no debt.

 

Like everyone else they have concerns and project a real slow down in sales, but they are prepared.  Here are a few lessons to learn from the king of innovation and product design:

 

• REDUCE DEBT:  Duh!  Large and small businesses as well as individuals should rebalance their use of capital to take extraordinary means to reduce not only existing debt but the future need to debt finance ideas and operations. 
• DON”T STOP WHAT YOU DO:  Times of perceived crisis cause the fear factor to make organizations and individuals grind to a stop.  Keep thinking, discover what impact you CAN have and do it.  Apple released their latest and greatest laptops with new innovative features.
• DRIVE ENERGY:  In order to drive energy you need to believe in what you do.  Though Apple is the king of secrecy and is at the mercy of somewhat authoritarian management practices, they all believe themselves to be the global leader in innovation and design.  This belief drives their energy in times of crisis.  Help your people believe in what they are doing.  You would be shocked at how many of your staff have no idea what your organization is doing, what great ideas are on the table, what impact to the market they are having.  REMIND THEM.  Do what leaders do – DEFINE REALITY for them and you will capture their energy.

 

There you go, 3 steps, what, you were expecting 4!

 

 

 

ENTERTAINMENT

 

 

MOVIES:  Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist:   I might be a little old for this, but I have heard wonderful things.

 

NetFlix Fans:  The Man from UNCLE –   This was one of my favorite TV shows as a kid and I can’t wait to check it out again.  There are rumors that Quinton Tarritino is going to do a movie version!

 

TV:    The key for a successful new TV show is to launch it on the wings of a currently successful show.  With all the new shows on the air this fall only two are thought to be successful.  Fringe, on FOX follows the hugely popular House MD (my favorite show) and The Mentalist follows the popular NCIS.  Both get the advantage of the momentum of the show on before they air.  The weird part of this is that Fringe and The Mentalist are both on the same night (Tuesday) and the same time.

 

BOOKS:  Tribe by Seth Godin.  Any time Seth writes a book – READ IT!

 

MUSIC:   For all my years as a Pink Floyd fan, I don’t know how I missed this song – A friend of mine played it on the guitar during a jam session and I fell in love with it – On The Turning Away

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2v240bYbbrM

 

 

WEB SITES:   Sometimes I am embarrassed to be a scientist!

 

 

http://improbable.com/

 

 

SOUTH OF NORMAL

I am a coffee drinker, though I can only augment my natural energy levels with one cup a day (or I would be swinging from the tallest building).  I do notice more and more people at meetings partaking of the “Energy Drink”.  Talk about a jolt to the system, here are three drinks and their caffeine content:

• AMP               75 mg of caffeine in 8.4 oz.
• Full Throttle Oh, yeah, 144 mg of caffeine in 16 oz.
• No Fear         Stand back and prepare to leap tall buildings in a single bound – 174 NG of caffeine in 16 oz.

Next time you see someone with a can of No Fear in their hands, put a large distance between yourselves!

 

Unaware how the ranks have grown
Driven on by a heart of stone
We could find that were all alone
In the dream of the proud

Pink Floyd – On The Turning Away

 

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

 

 

 

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

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

 

IN OUR WORLD

 

This week took me to the Windy City for a fantastic fall trip.  Chicago gave me a break from the Indian summer weather of Dallas so that I could get some crisp cool days! 

 

I did a special invite dinner for some elite producers then did a 90 minute introduction to Repeatable Successful Acts for a larger meeting.  I continue to be amazed at the instant value connect with this program.  As I sat in the airport waiting to come home, my iPhone was receiving email from people who had just left the meeting!  That’s INFLUENCE!

 

I have a ton of activity on the books now and just keeping up is a real challenge.  Even when you have my bizarre biology that needs very little sleep (I am typing this at 3:30 AM!) I am still hustling and that a GREAT place to be in an economy that a bad news media loves to bury.

 

I just received a report that shows where hits are coming from on my web site and where my blog and newsletter readers are coming from:

 

• Guam
• Russia
• Spain
• Indonesia
• New Zealand

 

Are a few surprises!

 

Next week I am off to Atlanta to teach Interpersonal Communication Skills!

 

 

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

 

 

For the past 6-8 weeks I have been honored to work with a wide variety of financial institutions working hard to keep their troops informed and inspired to do work in an environment that has become toxic.

 

Each week I sit at the back of large rooms filled with professionals as they listen to one analyst after another drone on about product or predictions.  Each meeting, even though hosted by a completely different headline organization, is exactly the same. 

 

One after another presenter takes the stage and goes through a series of the worst power point slides you have ever seen, filled with charts and graphs with 9 point font that no one can see.  They deliver a message with no definable connection points that drive audience members to warm up their thumbs for another session of “under the table blackberry exchanges.”  No one and I mean NO ONE says, “Boy, am I glad I came to this meeting”.

 

The organizations follow rote.  They repeat the same type of meeting creating such a standard experience for the attendees that it’s really no experience at all.

 

Now all of this is great for me.  I get up and do a multimedia, interactive program with compelling stories, supported by stunning visuals and walk away the star of the show, though it really is not saying that much based on the format I get to use to set my “presentation table”.

 

Enough is enough.  There is no reason one of these fine institutions can not break a stale and ineffective mold to bust out of the pack with a truly unique learning experience.  Sitting in the back of the room I did a famous “napkin” design of a new way to deliver this type of information that will provide a “Wow, that was fantastic” experience. 

 

For all of you, who allow your lazy brain to take “meeting vacations”, shame on you!  Here are a few new ways to think:

 

• Stop The One Way Street:  All the content is provided one way, from the front of the room to the audience.  Create an INTERACTIVE experience that allows the audience to PARTICIPATE.  This creates learning.
• Revise Your Visual Delivery:  You may have to run everything you say through your compliance department, but that does not mean you can’t be creative.  Use images that add a compelling nature to your story.  Stop with all the graphs and charts, no one is paying attention to them!
• Think Experience, NOT Meeting:  You want people to walk out of the room saying; “My time spent was of great value”.  You must create more value in your delivery.  Build energy with excitement and they will say WOW!
• Take a CHANCE on Something NEW:  In difficult times it is easier to be risk full.  What is the worst thing that happens?  The meeting can not be worse than your stale and standardized deliver.  Heck, in a worst case scenario just dust off the old way.

 

Imagine the separation and differentiation you will get with a dynamic learning experience.  Imagine the word of mouth you will generate when the meeting contains a resounding WOW factor.

 

Interested in the Napkin Idea?  Contact me and I will change the way you think about meetings!

 

 

 

ENTERTAINMENT

 

 

MOVIES:  Max Payne:   Laura and I are Mark Wahlberg fans and this looks like great escapism.  The last few movies have been disappointments with only 6.5 – 7.0 ratings for me on a scale of 1-10.

 

NetFlix Fans:  Mongol –   A great movie about the rise of Genghis Khan.

 

TV:    For those of you who are not Boston Legal fans, you have really missed some great entertainment this season as each episode makes me laugh and think.  Put it on your TiVo.  The Mentalist (on Tuesday nights) is the only new fall show that seems to be a hit.  CBS has picked up the series for a full season.

 

BOOKS:  The Patriot Club by Reich.  Oh Boy, I have discovered a new great writer.  I am in my fiction phase of weekly reading and this book had me actually wanting my flight to be delayed so I could finish it before I got home!  I will read all of his stuff!!

 

MUSIC:   I have been listening to a lot of Tony Lucca lately and love his clever style of music.  This song is one of my favorites.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82lSOdSOdSo

 

WEB SITES:   Here is a web site that will tell you all the movies released in any year.

 

 

http://www.movieweb.com/movies/releases/year.php

 

SOUTH OF NORMAL

It is the final countdown to the end of politic season.  Now I am not a very political person, I believe in the innate goodness of people and that whom ever is running for political office goes into that position with the intent of doing the best job they possibly can (how else can you think).  I am also always amazed at how the public thinks or even better how they don’t think.

Charlie Reese, a journalist from Florida wrote an interesting piece on the most feared word in Washington – ACCOUNTABILITY.  I loved his simple but powerful approach:

·        The 545.  That the number of people responsible for making decisions for our Nation.  100 Senators, 435 Congressman, 1 President and 9 Supreme Court Justices.  That’s 545 people out of +/- 300 million of us.

·        The President proposes budgets, he never approves them.  Congress is the only body that can approve a budget.  You probably should add the Federal Reserve because they kind of control monetary policy.

·        The House of Representatives approves appropriations and taxes.

·        There is no “disembodied mystical force” that makes things go up or down, good or bad, it’s these people. PERIOD.  They are accountable for the situation we find ourselves in and more importantly they will be responsible for our tomorrows.

Exercise your Democratic given right to put those who share your beliefs in office and occasionally remind them, the buck stops with them!

 

There’s always another dream around the bend,

If I can’t make it real, I’ll just pretend.

Tony Lucca

 

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

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

Hey everyone, here we go. . . . . . 

IN OUR WORLD 

Back from

San Francisco and thanks to a rescheduling of a project, I had the entire week in town.  This gave me a chance to get caught up and get a jump on a few things. 

San Francisco is my favorite town and Laura and I got to attend the famous LOVE PARADE right down the middle of

Market St

.  We knew it would be a different parade when a group of buck naked men and women kicked off the show! 

Ideas are all about impact and the Repeatable Successful Acts platform continues to gain momentum and traction.  In the most difficult financial times of my life, I continue to have an opportunity to work with financial institutions on improving their Advisors skill sets.  Why?  The RSA platform is something, that when implemented has IMMEDIATE impact on their sales skills and practices.  This is true, not only in the financial services arena, but with ANY sales force. 

After completing my RSA introduction workshop I had emails in my mailbox before I could get back to me room and then started getting HAND WRITTEN notes!  Heavy IMPACT. 

Next week it’s off to

Chicago to continue the expansion of the RSA platform! 

 

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW 

 

 

I spend a great deal of time working on systems.  Sales systems, management systems, communication systems, systems!  Interconnected processes, pieces of parts that seem to come together to make things happen.  Systems are sets of parts that come together to accomplish a set of goals. 

Now I am not a huge fan of systems.  We tend to develop a systems addiction, creating and applying them to issues that often time really only need a solution. 

Systems often are synonymous with problems, so I thought I would share a few systems principles with you: 

• Where did the problem go?  Whey a system is set up a new entity comes into being, the system.  Where there was only a problem there is now a system and it immediately starts to exhibit systems behavior.  A new universe of issues start gathering around the system and soon you are spending all your time on the system and the original problem is lost in the morass of the system.

 

• The blob that ate the system:  The bigger the system (and they all grow) the greater the odds the system will be in failure mode most of the time.  This is often referred to as Le Chateliers Principle; the system tends to oppose its own proper function.  Le Chateliers Principle increases in likelihood as the system increases in size.  Big systems baffle us.  The macro aspect of the economy, politics, services (utilities) are subject to their own opposition.  You would think it would be easy to patch a pothole in the road, but just watch the system at work and be amazed.

 

• It’s getting bigger:  Systems like babies, once you have one, you have it.  They don’t go away – EVER.  They not only hang around, they GROW.  As they grow they encroach on other systems and soon their operating parameters are blurred. 

 

Now I am not preaching opposition to systems and believe it or not these are just a couple of the principles of developed by systemic genius John Gall over 30 years ago!  I know the necessity of a system approach to problem solving, BUT I am aware of the dangers and carefully approach the idea properly armed! 

 

 

 

 

ENTERTAINMENT 

 

MOVIES:  Body of Lies:   I can’t wait to see this one.  I need to figure in some time between the TX / OU game (go Horns) and the Cowboy game on Sunday. 

NetFlix Fans:  The Visitor –   A wonderful little film that escaped most movie goers. 

TV:    Well, it looks like a sports filled weekend.  The TX/OU game is a huge event in the house of a Longhorn grad and the Cowboys game Sunday will fill out the schedule.  Since I have been on the road for a while, my loving bride had a DVR full of shows that I got caught up on.  Boston Legal (minus the intense left wing views) is still high quality viewing and the new season of House is the best!The new shows, The Mentalist, Fringe and The 11^th Hour are fun. 

BOOKS:  Divide or Conquer: How Great Teams Turn Conflict Into Strength– by Smith.  This is not an easy read since this is the result of 30 years of research, but the content is strong. 

MUSIC:   I have been listening almost non-stop to the new Vance Gilbert CD – Up On Rockfield.  There is not one bad cut on the entire CD!  I was lucky to stumble on this live version of Goodbye Pluto. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiKc2SCElvc  

 

WEB SITES:   Do you think you could write a song?  It may be easier than you think! 

 

http://www.easy-song-writing.com/  

 

SOUTH OF

NORMALThis past weekend Best Buy opened a new store in

Aurora, Colo., that was designed with women in mind. Specifically, the company asked 40 local female customers and its own Women’s Leadership Forum—or WoLF pack—to participate in the design of the new store. Among its findings over the nine-month effort were that female customers wanted more help seeing how products could work together and fit into their lives, for example; also that the term “home theater” suggested technologies suitable only for the very wealthy, according to the Associated Press. Accordingly, the new store features electronics products working together in homelike settings, and “home theater” has been renamed “family room.” Gone are the chain’s typical warehouse-style blue interiors and metal shelving, replaced instead by wood paneling, carpets featuring earth tones and skylights for natural lighting. Family-friendly restrooms and race car-shaped shopping carts are also among the additions to the store, which is reportedly putting a new emphasis on making eye contact with customers as well, following its female advisors’ recommendations. The cost of building the women-friendly store was higher than usual for the company, but Best Buy says it expects customer loyalty will make it worthwhile, the AP reported!www.bestbuy.com 

The preachers on the corner shout the truth.The passersby can’t understand their worth.Stephen Harvill“Carry It On” 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

IN OUR WORLD

 

Yes, I know I am late in  posting and thanks for all the emails wondering what happened, including the one from New Zealand (apparently I’m big “down under), but maybe you will give me a break when you see what my schedule has been like.

 

What a crazy week.  I am in beautiful San Francisco (my favorite city in America to visit) where today I will be finishing a marathon week by holding a full day education session on Presentation Skills.  Here is a taste of my insanity:

 

• Sunday – Flew to Los Angeles for a Monday morning meeting.
• Monday – Full day meeting then catch a flight that put me back in Dallas at Midnight.
• Tuesday – Full day planning session with a client.
• Thursday – 8:00 AM keynote presentation, 9:30 AM jump in limo to get me to DFW Airport to catch a 10:30 AM flight to San Francisco (pray that flight leaves on time), arrive San Francisco at 12:40 PM, jump in limo to whisk me to the venue for a 2:30 PM keynote presentation, 6:00 PM client event (cruise on the bay).
• Now it’s Friday and I have an all day seminar!

 

Ah, the glory of fame!

 

The October Newsletter is out.  Let me know if you need a copy.

 

 

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

 

 

 

The past two weeks have exposed me to a wide variety of clients in just as wide a range of businesses and I continue to discover a major issue in the obvious lack of adequate planning that goes into projects.  Now I am not advocating thinking issues to death, but it appears in these uncertain times desperation is driving decision making.  Speed is taking the lead over thinking.  A FIRE, AIM. READY mentality is dominating the business playing field.

 

Planning is one of the most essential skill sets you can bring to any issue.  It involves strategy, momentum and thinking.   Here are a few hints to get started:

 

• SEE THE ISSUE:  In order for the brain to get its arms around an issue, it needs to see the issue.  Invest in whiteboards and flipcharts.  Write out the issue and all your ideas.  This allows a high level of engagement.
• IT’S REALLY IN PIECES:  To plan properly you have to see a project as a sum of pieces.  By dividing, you can see the BIG PICTURE and know what the path of impact is.
• DELEGATE AND DEVELOP ACCOUNTABILITY:  Once the path of action is embarked upon make sure the work load is carried by the right people.  Though teams can make things happen, accountability is all about ONE person.  Team leaders become the lynch pin for the projects success.  There is always ONE go to person.
• THE THREE:  For you regular readers you know what’s coming – Yep, NEVER have a piece of the plan that is more than three parts.  The rule of Elegant Simplicity is always in play – NEVER MORE THAN THREE!

 

Plan and discover success!

 

 

 

ENTERTAINMENT

 

 

MOVIES:  Miracle at St. Annes:   Though not a huge Spike Lee fan his last film INSIDE MAN, was a huge hit with me and it made me want to head out to the theater to see this one!

 

NetFlix Fans:  IRON MAN –   This is my second favorite movie of the year!

 

TV:    Since the road has been my home I’ve been watching a few of the shows which I have found pretty cool.  Try The 11^th Hour a great new science/cop show and the new season of Life with the return of a quirky detective.  I wish I could tell you when these were on, but I have been in so many time zones I have no idea!

 

BOOKS:  Iconoclast– by Berns.  I know I have recommended it before, but it bears another shot for you who didn’t pull the trigger.

 

MUSIC:   The great Earl Klugh, whose music has helped through the stress of the road!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iAstoWW1BE

 

WEB SITES:   Inspired by Earl Klugh and want to learn the guitar?  Try this web site:                                      

 

 

http://www.mahalo.com/How_to_Play_Guitar_for_Newbies  

 

SOUTH OF NORMAL

Investors fear rages higher – International airfare soars – Asian markets tumble

Sound familiar?  Geez, if you allow the media to dictate your view of the world, the line at the edge of cliff will simply get longer and longer.

Book mark this site.  It will even out  your perspective!

 

http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/

 

 

Aint no use to sit and wonder why babe

It don’t matter any how.

Bob Dylan