Inspiration

13 Apr

Don’t search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer. Ranier Maria Rilke, Letters To A Young Poet
Too often people jump to the answer before fully understanding the question. I see this happen with companies often, especially in “brainstorming” meetings and customer interviews. Most “brainstorming” meetings I attend look something like this: somebody presents a loosely defined goal, a few solutions are presented, the majority of the group jumps at one of the solutions early on, and then explores that solution. Not only isn’t this true brainstorming—brainstorming involves clearly defined problems and getting as many ideas out as possible without evaluation—it can never hope to produce a great solution: ill-defined problems lead to weak solutions.
10:58 / Creativity / Inspiration / Marketing
06 Apr

I remind myself every morning: Nothing I say this day will teach me anything. So if I'm going to learn, I must do it by listening. Larry King Do you listen or do you just wait for your turn to talk? When you listen, you have to be...

11:15 / Inspiration / Leadership
30 Mar

“Every generation seeks the Holy Grail of instantaneous influence—in the information age we seek the sound bite that moves the masses—but it doesn't exist. Human behavior is influenced over time, within a context, and by focusing primarily on how people feel.” Anette Simmons, The Story Factor Good...

17:25 / Inspiration / Marketing
23 Mar

Recently, I was consulting a CEO on strategic presentation skills, they tended to keep talking without stopping and needed some work to better connect with the people in the room. We talked about the importance of pausing during the presentation and asking a question to...

12:10 / Inspiration / Leadership
09 Mar

Big ideas, when they stick, can guide an organization to an extraordinary future. It helps you determine when to move and where. It provides a shared vision that creates cohesion within your organization, which can lead to superior execution over time. To discover or refine your...

12:04 / Inspiration / Leadership
16 Feb

“The best way to capture moments is to pay attention. This is how we cultivate mindfulness. Mindfulness means being awake. It means knowing what you are doing.” Jon Kabat-Zinn The truth is that many of us spend most of our time in the office. Think about how...

12:06 / Inspiration / Leadership