Week of October 12, 2009

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

 

IN OUR WORLD

 

I am coming to you live from San Francisco and yes, it remains my favorite city to visit.  Though I was not in The City, I still enjoy the Northern CA environment.  My flight in was delayed almost 4 hours due to air traffic problems in San Francisco, reminding me of the glory of travel.  Lucky my good friend who picked me up was keep track of the flight.  On the way to the suburbs we passed a world record traffic jam on the Bay Bridge.  An 18 wheeler turned over causing, I kid you not, a 5 ½ hour traffic jam with no cars moving even an inch!

 

This weekend is the BIG Texas / OU game at the Cotton Bowl – Big times in Big D.

 

Next week I head back to Northern California to begin work with a new client.  The tough part is that it’s at the Half Moon Bay Ritz Carlton – Damn!  I hope to head down to the big surf break Maverick, just to watch!

 

I have a new article in the works called Einstein’s Notebook.  It will be as cool as the title!

 

The October newsletter is ready to roll:    http://www.creativeventures.com/Newsletter/200910.html

 

 

 

HEY, YOU CAN FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER –CREATIVEVENTURE

 

AND ON FACEBOOK – STEPHEN HARVILL!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

 

Let’s talk about presentations.  There are all kinds of presentations and each is really an opportunity.  Now those opportunities might be disguised as boring report driven presentations or worst yet economic progress updates, but they are still presentations.  They still have an audience and if you are responsible for presenting you are still in charge of not boring them to death.

 

I use the word “opportunity” on purpose.  When you are in front of a team you are in a position of opportunity.  You can choose to impact through your actions or suck the life out of the group faster than an army of vampires.

 

A few suggestions around the dreaded report update:

 

• Don’t you dare copy report sheets and insert them into a power point.  My God, are you insane!  No one wants to try and read 9 point font in different columns while you talk. Stop that.
• THINK.  If you were in the audience what would you need to understand what’s going on.  Think simple and connected.  What and why.   Make a slide that tells what you have measured.  Not a lot of figures, just the simple what.  Then tell them why.  What is the impact of the numbers?
• This is a journey.  Take them on it in a way they will understand, see and engage in.

 

Presenters, in any program, have a responsibility to the audience.  Take advantage of it.  It is an OPPORTUNITY to position yourself as a leader. 

 

 

 

 

ENTERTAINMENT

 

 

MOVIES:    Where the Wild Things Are:  Let the wild rumpus begin!

 

NetFlix Fans:  Land of the Lost:   My son Dylan (the product of a movie going family) kind of liked this farce remake of a campy TV series.

 

TV:    Saturday will be filled with college football – UT/OK then the Razorbacks against #1 Florida.  Go Horns and Hogs!  I also kind of like the new NCIS Los Angeles on Tuesday nights.

 

BOOKS:  Full Steam Ahead    – By Blanchard :    Pretty good read.  Quick read with good content.

 

MUSIC:   Fantastic song by My Morning Jacket – I’m Amazed. 

 

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

 

WEB SITES:   Just what it says. 

 

 

 www.culturalhappenings.com     

 

 

SOUTH OF NORMAL

 

Three things of interest:

 

• The National Association for Business Economists found that 81%  of the top economists believe the recession is over.  They also feel that employment and real estate will take a lot longer to recover.
• The Chicago Cubs filed bankruptcy.  That has got to be the last of all insults.
• General Motors set sales records in CHINA.  Their sales climbed 55% in the 1^st nine months of the year to 1.3 million vehicles.

 

 

I’m amazed at the quiet hours

My Morning Jacket

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

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