Hey everyone, here we go. . . . . .
IN OUR WORLD
Fall is here and I know this because this morning it’s in the low 40’s in Minneapolis, my new home away from home. It’s beautiful.
This week starts a very busy fourth quarter for me that puts me on the road for the next 10 weeks.
All the stuff that I do would be impossible to accomplish without a fantastic team. Here is a peak at what they are doing.
- My managing agent, Chris Ryan has been hard a work this week creating new projects with clients for 2011
- My PR guy, Darren Horwitz has a number of interviews and articles lined up and has secured a writing assignment for me in my favorite magazine, Fast Company.
- Mike Wilcox continues to make my newsletter and Brain Jolts look like I see them when I sketch.
- John Peterson has a brand new look and feel for my web site that should debut before the end of the year.
- Dr. Jim Hengstenberg is not only my dear friend, but also the genius that edits almost all of my writing and makes me look like I know what I’m talking about
Thanks gang!
Next week I get to debut the completely revised program – Upside Down Thinking and then jump on a flight to Atlanta where I get to teach Interpersonal Communications and design a new “attack the second level” strategy project.
HEY, YOU CAN FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER –CREATIVEVENTURE
AND ON FACEBOOK – STEPHEN HARVILL!
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
THE LAW OF APPARENT ACTIVITY – Doing for the sake of doing is NOT DOING!
During one of my recent programs I mentioned a Creative Ventures Law and was bombarded by requests for a list of them. I thought I might highlight a few during the next few weeks.
Doing what I do gets me stuck in a LOT of meetings. I even get invited to sit in meetings just to help a client judge how the meeting went. If you spend enough time doing this you discover that there is a lot of Apparent Activity going on.
Apparent Activity is doing things for the sake of doing something. These “things” or activities have usually been going on for a long period of time and have become organizational habits. They feel like they have some level of importance but when given some critical thought their importance is an illusion. They are just things we do.
Believe it or not there is a TON of Apparent Activity that takes up huge amounts of what could be productive time. It’s often called “busy work” or “micro-work”. We do it because it makes us feel “busy”. We do it because no one has really thought about it lately. We do it because it was done that way “when I got here.” We do it and we don’t even know why we do it???
According to a recent AOL survey of the work place, the average worker spends about 2.06 hours a day doing work they consider, “wasted time.” That equals about a trillion dollars of Apparent Activity. Most of this is found in personal activities like planning personal social events or internet surfing, but often overlooked are the meaningless WORK related activities.
Spend a little time next week taking a look at the routine activities you and your team engage in. Set up a team meeting and ask each team member to list ONE, just ONE thing they do that does not make sense to them. See if that activity can be eliminated and a new more meaningful and impact one can be substituted. Check your meeting schedule and see which ones are REALLY need to impact the goal of your team or organization.
Make sure your doing, is doing for a reason.
ENTERTAINMENT
MOVIES: It’s Kind of a Funny Story: Both funny and kind of sad this is a tale of a young man who has to spend time in the adult mental ward as the kids ward is full.
NetFlix Fans: The Promise – Making Darkness on the Edge of Town: This is a fantastic documentary on the creative process and determination that resulted in one of the greatest albums of all time.
TV: Wow, October is the greatest sports month of all. You get the road to the World Series ( GO RANGERS), the NFL, College Football, the NBA, and the NHL. Hardly any time to watch all the great shows on regular TV. I love Terriers on the FX network. Check out some past episodes on HULU to get caught up. Laura love Rubicon on A&E. I like it, but am a little behind.
BOOKS: Wrong – Why Experts Fail Us – Freedman: A very interesting look at why we almost always believe what experts tell us without questioning their comments.
MUSIC: The great Bruce Springsteen with Darkness on the Edge of Town.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCpzgcH0QBE
WEB SITES: A very WORTHY us to time to make an impact on this life.
[http://www.itstartswith.us/]
SOUTH OF NORMAL
Luxury hotels for dogs aren’t a new concept, but we recently came across one in Portland with a twist that we couldn’t resist sharing. Not only does the Sniff Dog Hotel offer high-end accommodations, grooming, training and daycare, but it also includes a café where dog-loving humans can hang out and watch their canine companions play for free.
With daily rates beginning at USD 37 for a 16-square-foot room, the Sniff Dog Hotel’s accommodations feature elevated beds with fleece bedding, multihour play sessions and complimentary baths after a four-night stay. Climate-controlled suites of larger sizes are also available, many offering natural lighting and views of the city. All hotel guests are monitored 24/7, and an indoor play park — used for daycare as well — features dirt-free K9 grass and custom playmate-matching based on temperament. Grooming, spa services and massage therapy are also available, but the best part in our view is the Sniff Café, serving local beer, wine, coffee, pastries, sandwiches, pizza and more. During the café’s Happy Hour from 5 to 7pm Monday through Saturday, human patrons can let their dogs romp for free in Sniff Dog’s indoor park while they enjoy reduced beverage prices along with the café’s flat-screen TVs, free wifi and outdoor seating.
Still not sure pets and their owners represent a compelling market? Then just pause for a moment to consider the USD 47.7 billion US consumers alone are expected to spend on their pets this year. Next, check out some of our other pet-related coverage. In no time at all you’ll be saying “woof” with the best of them!
Drop me a note with your comments at steve@creativeventures.com
Thanks for stopping by and until next time, Adios and Aloha.
Leave a Reply